Sino Biological, Inc. announced that its gene synthesis and cell-free protein expression workflow was used in recent research by Tencent AI for Life Sciences Lab published in Nature Communications, enabling rapid validation of AI-designed proteins with increased activity, stability, and multifunctionality.
Bridging AI protein design and experimental validation
Artificial intelligence has accelerated the design of amino acid sequences for proteins, but translating these computational designs into functional proteins remains a key challenge in protein engineering. Protein activity, stability, folding, and expression are influenced by complex structural and biochemical factors, often leading to discrepancies between in silico predictions and experiments.
To address this gap, this study introduced an ontology reinforcement iteration (ORI) framework to integrate reinforcement learning from protein ontology and wet lab feedback. Experimental data such as protein expression levels and functional activity are continuously fed back into the model, allowing iterative optimization of protein sequences and improved design accuracy.
Cell-free protein synthesis accelerates AI design loops
The researchers then utilized Sino Biological’s XPressMAX™ cell-free protein synthesis kit to enable rapid protein expression and functional screening. Protein-coding sequences were cloned into the kit’s expression vector and added to a proprietary cell-free reaction system, supporting rapid design, construction, and testing cycles.
Using this workflow, the team engineered lysozyme with more than 100 times higher activity than the native enzyme, developed a thermostable chitinase that retained activity at 85 °C, and expressed a bifunctional enzyme with improved performance compared to naturally occurring multifunctional enzymes.
XPressMAX™ Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Kit
The main features are:
- Ultra-fast synthesis: express proteins in just 3 hours
- High screening efficiency: optimized for VHH, scFv, and miniproteins
- Flexible template support: compatible with plasmid and linear DNA templates
- Disulfide bond friendly: Enables expression of complex disulfide bond proteins without additional enhancers.
- Cost-effective performance: reduced operational time and costs
- Scalable supply: suitable for high throughput and industrial applications
