What Is Synthetic Biology? The Industrialization Pathway from Upstream Reagent Toolchains to Biomanufacturing Applications
What Is Synthetic Biology? The Industrialization Pathway from Upstream Reagent Toolchains to Biomanufacturing Applications
1. What Is Synthetic Biology?
1.1 Basic Meaning of Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology (SB) is an interdisciplinary field that uses engineering approaches to design, build, and modify biological systems. Through the design of genes, enzymes, cells, and metabolic pathways, synthetic biology enables biological systems to perform specific functions. Traditional biology mainly studies how living systems operate in nature; synthetic biology goes a step further by focusing on how biological functions can be reorganized and optimized according to specific objectives, so that they can be used for production, detection, catalysis, conversion, therapeutic applications, and other defined tasks.
The core of synthetic biology is to transform biological functions into engineering processes that can be designed, built, tested, and optimized. For example:
① enabling microorganisms to produce certain amino acids, organic acids, or vitamins;
② engineering enzymes so that they can catalyze specific reactions more efficiently;
③ designing metabolic pathways that convert substrates such as glucose into target molecules;
④ constructing cellular detection systems that recognize specific environmental or disease-related signals;
⑤ using engineered cells or enzyme systems to produce food ingredients, chemicals, material monomers, or pharmaceutical intermediates.
What synthetic biology truly “synthesizes” is not only DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), but also new biological functions and new production processes.
1.2 Differences from Genetic Engineering, Traditional Fermentation, and Chemical Synthesis
Synthetic biology is related to genetic engineering, traditional fermentation, and chemical synthesis, but it should not be simply equated with any of them.
Comparison Object | Main Features | Relationship with Synthetic Biology |
Genetic engineering | Inserts, deletes, replaces, or regulates specific genes | One of the commonly used technologies in synthetic biology |
Traditional fermentation | Uses natural or screened strains to produce alcohols, organic acids, enzyme preparations, and other products | Synthetic biology can improve fermentation controllability through strain and pathway design |
Chemical synthesis | Prepares target molecules through chemical reaction routes | Synthetic biology can provide biological routes for certain complex molecules, chiral molecules, and natural products |
Synthetic biology | Systematically designs genes, enzymes, cells, and metabolic pathways to achieve target functions | Emphasizes engineering design, system construction, and iterative optimization |
Gene editing can modify a specific gene, traditional fermentation can use microorganisms to produce substances, and chemical synthesis can obtain target molecules through reaction routes. Synthetic biology places greater emphasis on system-level design: it does not focus only on a single gene or a single reaction step, but on the overall optimization of genetic elements, expression regulation, metabolic pathways, and the final product.
2. How Synthetic Biology Works
2.1 Core Process: The DBTL Cycle
Synthetic biology research and development often adopts the DBTL cycle: Design-Build-Test-Learn. This process breaks biological system development into executable, verifiable, and improvable steps, making it an important method for moving synthetic biology from conceptual design to product development.
Stage | Main Task | Key Content |
Design | Define the target function | Design gene sequences, regulatory elements, enzyme combinations, and metabolic pathways |
Build | Establish the biological system | Synthesize DNA, assemble gene fragments, construct expression vectors, and modify the host |
Test | Verify functional outcomes | Detect expression levels, enzyme activity, product concentration, by-products, and stability |
Learn | Optimize the solution based on data | Optimize sequences, hosts, culture conditions, fermentation parameters, and purification methods |
The DBTL cycle shows that synthetic biology is not a one-time experiment. A target product often requires multiple rounds of design, construction, and testing before sufficient yield, stability, and quality consistency can be achieved.
2.2 Implementation Pathway from DNA to Product
From research and development to application, synthetic biology usually goes through the following process:
Stage | Question to Be Addressed | Typical Work |
Target definition | What should be produced or what function should be achieved? | Define the target molecule, target enzyme, target protein, or target cellular function |
Pathway design | How can the biological system generate the target function? | Design gene combinations, regulatory elements, and metabolic pathways |
System construction | How can the design be introduced into cells or reaction systems? | DNA synthesis, vector construction, gene editing, and host modification |
Functional verification | Does the target function actually occur? | Sequencing, expression analysis, enzyme activity assays, and product analysis |
Process optimization | Can stable and efficient production be achieved? | Optimize culture media, fermentation parameters, substrate supply, and purification processes |
Product formation | Does the product meet application requirements? | Establish quality standards, testing methods, safety evaluation, and supply capabilities |
3. Why Reagents and Analytical Tools Are the Upstream Toolchain of Synthetic Biology
3.1 Synthetic Biology First Depends on Verifiable Experimental Tools
Synthetic biology may appear to focus on cells, enzymes, and biomanufacturing, but once it enters the research and development stage, it first depends on a complete set of chemical reagents, life science reagents, experimental materials, and analytical tools. Without stable and reliable nucleic acids, enzymes, vectors, culture media, and analytical standards, design schemes are difficult to construct accurately, and experimental results are difficult to verify and reproduce.
The role of the upstream toolchain is mainly reflected in three aspects:
Role | Specific Meaning |
Ensuring construction accuracy | Target sequences, vector structures, editing results, and expression systems need to be confirmed |
Improving R&D efficiency | DNA assembly, gene editing, expression screening, and product analysis require efficient reagent support |
Ensuring result reproducibility | Batch-to-batch consistency, testing methods, and quality standards determine whether experimental data are reliable |
3.2 Main Components of the Upstream Toolchain
Tool Category | Typical Products | Role in Synthetic Biology |
Nucleic acid-related products | Primers, probes, oligonucleotides, gene fragments, modified nucleic acids | Provide basic materials for gene construction, expression regulation, and molecular detection |
DNA assembly reagents | Restriction endonucleases, ligases, polymerases, Gibson Assembly, Golden Gate Assembly | Assemble multiple DNA fragments into expression vectors, genetic circuits, or metabolic pathways |
Gene editing reagents | CRISPR-Cas systems, sgRNA, crRNA, donor templates, transfection reagents | Enable targeted modification of the host genome |
Expression systems | Expression vectors, promoters, terminators, selection markers, engineered strains | Enable the expression of target proteins, enzymes, or metabolic products |
Enzymes and cofactors | Engineered enzymes, immobilized enzymes, coenzymes, coenzyme regeneration systems | Support biocatalysis and metabolic conversion |
Culture and fermentation reagents | Culture media, carbon sources, nitrogen sources, inducers, defoamers, feed additives | Support cell growth, expression, and product accumulation |
Analytical and quality-control products | qPCR reagents, sequencing library preparation reagents, fluorescent probes, HPLC standards, LC-MS standards | Verify construction results, product quality, and impurity profiles |
Among them:
① CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins) is used for gene editing;
② sgRNA (single guide RNA) and crRNA (CRISPR RNA) guide Cas proteins to recognize target sequences;
③ qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction), HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), and LC-MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) are commonly used for testing and quality control.
3.3 How the Upstream Toolchain Supports Product Development
Taking the production of a target molecule by engineered microorganisms as an example, the R&D process usually begins with the synthesis or acquisition of the target gene. DNA assembly and gene editing are then used to establish the engineered strain. Culture media and fermentation reagents are subsequently used to promote expression, and chromatography, mass spectrometry, and reference standards are finally used to confirm the product structure, purity, and impurity profile.
This process shows that the reagent toolchain determines three key issues:
① whether the target function can be constructed accurately;
② whether the target product can be detected reliably;
③ whether the R&D data can support subsequent scale-up production.
4. How Synthetic Biology Generates Biomanufacturing Raw Materials
4.1 Basic Logic of Biomanufacturing
Biomanufacturing uses cells, enzymes, or biological reaction systems to produce target substances. Synthetic biology provides stronger design capabilities for biomanufacturing, enabling researchers to modify host cells, optimize metabolic pathways, improve enzyme catalytic efficiency, and reduce unwanted by-products. Common biomanufacturing routes include:
Route | Main Features | Applicable Directions |
Microbial fermentation | Uses engineered strains to produce target substances in fermentation systems | Organic acids, amino acids, vitamins, and certain food ingredients |
Enzymatic catalysis | Uses natural enzymes or engineered enzymes to complete specific transformations | Chiral intermediates, rare sugars, functional molecules |
Cell-free expression | Performs protein expression or pathway verification in systems without living cells | Protein engineering, rapid screening, expression of toxic proteins |
Hybrid processes | Combine biocatalysis with chemical synthesis, separation, and purification | Complex chemicals, pharmaceutical intermediates, natural product derivatives |
The advantage of biomanufacturing lies in its suitability for products where traditional routes have clear limitations. For example, biological routes are often worth evaluating for target molecules with complex structures, high chirality requirements, limited natural sources, long chemical synthesis routes, or many by-products.
4.2 From Engineered Systems to Product Raw Materials
To generate biomanufacturing raw materials, synthetic biology usually needs to complete three types of conversion:
Conversion Direction | Description | Representative Products |
From gene to enzyme | Design and express enzymes with specific catalytic capabilities | Industrial enzymes, food-processing enzymes, diagnostic enzymes |
From pathway to molecule | Modify metabolic pathways so that cells synthesize target molecules | Organic acids, amino acids, vitamins, flavor molecules |
From cell to production system | Coordinate and optimize strains, culture media, fermentation, and purification | Food ingredients, chemicals, material monomers, pharmaceutical intermediates |
From the perspective of the reagent and raw material supply chain, these three conversions together form the industrialization process of synthetic biology: upstream consists of tools, reagents, and analytical systems; the middle layer is the engineered biological system; and downstream consists of usable raw materials and products.
5. Downstream Applications: Food Ingredients, Chemicals and Materials, and Pharmaceutical-Related Products
5.1 Food Ingredients: From Precision Fermentation to Food-Related Components
From the perspective of technology source, synthetic biology can use engineered microorganisms, precision fermentation, enzymatic catalysis, or cell-based systems to produce food-related components. Precision fermentation usually uses microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, or fungi to generate specific target products under controlled production conditions.
It should be noted that “synthetic biology food ingredients” is more a description of technology source and does not correspond to one fixed regulatory category. Specific products may fall under categories such as novel food ingredients, food additives, food nutrition fortifiers, enzyme preparations for the food industry, or other food-related categories. Whether a product can be used as food depends on its product identity, production process, quality standards, scope of use, applicable populations, and local regulatory requirements. Common directions include:
Product Direction | Typical Examples | Key Considerations |
Rare sugars and functional sugars | D-allulose, certain oligosaccharides | Conversion efficiency, purification cost, intake safety |
Precision-fermented proteins | Milk proteins, functional proteins, structural proteins | Protein structure, allergen risk, host-derived residues |
Enzymes for the food industry | Amylases, proteases, lipases, lactase | Enzyme activity stability, processing suitability, scope of use |
Flavor and aroma ingredients | Vanillin, terpene aroma compounds, lactone flavor compounds | Molecular purity, impurity profile, flavor consistency |
Nutrition-related ingredients | Amino acids, vitamins, organic acids | Quality specifications, intake amount, applicable populations |
Food ingredients can more fully reflect the entire synthetic biology process, from gene construction and fermentation production to quality control. Compared with research reagents, food ingredients must also address long-term intake safety, applicable populations, labeling, allergen risks, residual DNA, host cell proteins, fermentation by-products, and process residues.
5.2 Chemicals and Materials: Suitable for Complex Molecules and Highly Selective Transformations
Synthetic biology can be used to produce organic acids, amino acids, vitamins, flavor molecules, chiral intermediates, natural product analogs, and certain material monomers.
Common reasons why these products are suitable for evaluation through biological routes include:
① the molecular structure is complex, and traditional chemical synthesis requires many steps;
② specific chiral configurations are required, and enzymatic catalysis offers high selectivity;
③ natural sources are limited, and extraction costs are high or supply is unstable;
④ traditional routes generate many by-products, creating pressure for separation and purification;
⑤ renewable raw materials can be used for fermentation or enzymatic conversion.
In the field of materials, synthetic biology is mainly used to produce bio-based monomers, polymer precursors, or natural polymer materials. For example, lactic acid can be used for polylactic acid materials, succinic acid can serve as a precursor for various polymers and chemicals, and certain microorganisms can accumulate polyhydroxyalkanoates.
5.3 Pharmaceutical-Related Products: High-Value Applications Require Higher Quality Standards
In the pharmaceutical field, synthetic biology can be used for pharmaceutical intermediates, natural product derivatives, therapeutic proteins, nucleic acid-related tools, and the construction of engineered cells. Compared with food ingredients and industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical-related products usually have higher added value, but they also have stricter quality and safety requirements.
Pharmaceutical-related products pay particular attention to: ① sterility control; ② endotoxin control; ③ host cell protein residues; ④ host cell DNA residues; ⑤ consistency of protein structure and activity; ⑥ batch-to-batch quality stability; ⑦ traceability of the production process; and ⑧ drug registration and quality management requirements.
Although pharmaceuticals are an important application area of synthetic biology, value cannot be assessed only from the perspective of “technical feasibility.” Quality systems, production standards, and regulatory review requirements must also be evaluated.
6. How to Determine Whether a Synthetic Biology Product Has Practical Value
6.1 Whether the Target Product Is Suitable for a Biological Route
Not all products are suitable for production through synthetic biology routes. To determine whether a target product is suitable for a biological route, key factors such as molecular structure, traditional processes, production cost, and quality requirements should be compared.
Suitable for Evaluation Through a Synthetic Biology Route | Requires Cautious Evaluation of the Biological Route |
Complex molecular structure | Simple structure with an established low-cost process already available |
High chirality requirements | Traditional chemical routes already provide sufficient selectivity |
Scarce natural sources | Raw material sources are stable and relatively low-cost |
Long chemical synthesis route | Fermentation yield is low and purification is difficult |
Many by-products or difficult separation | Separation and purification costs exceed product value |
Selectivity can be improved through enzymatic catalysis | Regulatory pathway is unclear or quality standards are difficult to establish |
6.2 Whether the Technical Route Is Clearly Defined
A credible synthetic biology product should be able to explain its basic technical route. Key questions include:
Question for Evaluation | Specific Content |
What host is used? | Escherichia coli, yeast, filamentous fungi, algae, plant cells, or mammalian cells |
What route is adopted? | Microbial fermentation, enzymatic catalysis, cell-free expression, or a hybrid process |
Where are the key limitations? | Substrate supply, insufficient enzyme activity, metabolic burden, product toxicity, or by-product accumulation |
How is the product detected? | Whether HPLC, LC-MS, enzyme activity assays, or other quantitative methods have been established |
How are impurities controlled? | Whether by-products, host-derived residues, process residues, and degradation products have been clearly defined |
How is scale-up achieved? | Whether stable fermentation, purification, and batch-to-batch control capabilities are in place |
If a project cannot explain its host, route, testing methods, purification approach, and quality control, its practical feasibility should be evaluated cautiously.
6.3 Whether Scale-Up Production Is Feasible
Obtaining a target product in the laboratory does not mean that stable production can be achieved. When a synthetic biology product moves from the laboratory to industrial production, the following indicators require close attention. They determine whether the product can be transformed from an R&D sample into a raw material with continuous supply capability.
Indicator | Meaning |
Product concentration | Amount of target product per unit volume of fermentation broth or reaction solution |
Conversion rate | Efficiency with which the substrate is converted into the target product |
Production rate | Amount of target product generated per unit time |
Genetic stability | Ability of the engineered strain to maintain the target function over multiple generations of culture |
Contamination control | Ability to avoid microbial contamination during fermentation or culture |
Separation and purification cost | Cost of obtaining the target product from a complex system |
Batch-to-batch consistency | Degree of quality stability across different production batches |
6.4 Whether Quality Requirements Match the Application Scenario
The same molecule may have completely different quality requirements when used in different scenarios. Research reagents, food ingredients, industrial chemicals, material monomers, and pharmaceutical-related products differ in their requirements for purity, impurities, safety, and documentation.
Application Area | Main Considerations |
Research reagents | Purity, activity, stability, experimental reproducibility |
Food ingredients | Food safety, applicable populations, intake amount, impurities, residues, labeling compliance |
Chemicals | Purity, impurity profile, cost, supply stability, process safety |
Material monomers | Polymer-grade purity, batch-to-batch consistency, downstream processing performance |
Pharmaceutical-related products | Sterility control, endotoxins, host-derived residues, drug quality standards, production traceability |
7. Classification Tables of Representative Chemicals Related to Synthetic Biology
7.1 Product Selection Navigation Table for Synthetic Biology-Related Products
Research or Experimental Need | Recommended Product Table | Applicable Research Scenarios | Selection Considerations |
Gene construction, nucleic acid amplification, fragment detection, and plasmid construction | Table 1: Nucleic Acid Construction, Transformation, and Basic Buffer Reagents | Gene fragment amplification, vector construction, clone verification, and analysis of construction results | Buffer system stability, nucleic acid protection capability, purity of amplification raw materials, and compatibility with enzymatic reactions |
Establishment of engineered bacteria, engineered yeast, or cell transformation systems | Table 1: Nucleic Acid Construction, Transformation, and Basic Buffer Reagents; Table 3: Expression Induction, Antibiotic Selection, and Clone Screening Reagents | Preparation of competent cells, yeast transformation, plasmid introduction, and engineered strain screening | Transformation system type, host species, selection markers, and culture conditions |
Preparation of culture media to support engineered bacteria, cell culture, or plant cell culture | Table 2: Basic Raw Materials for Culture Media, Cell Culture, and Fermentation | Microbial expansion, cell culture, plant cell culture, and pre-fermentation culture | Carbon sources, nitrogen sources, inorganic salts, vitamins, trace elements, and osmotic pressure conditions |
Fermentation culture, metabolic pathway validation, and product accumulation studies | Table 2: Basic Raw Materials for Culture Media, Cell Culture, and Fermentation; Table 5: Biomanufacturing-Related Raw Materials, Functional Ingredient Research Materials, and Downstream Analytical Standards | Fermentation of engineered strains, organic acid production, amino acid production, and conversion of functional ingredients | Substrate source, culture medium composition, fermentation stability, and analytical standards for target products |
Recombinant protein expression induction and clone screening | Table 3: Expression Induction, Antibiotic Selection, and Clone Screening Reagents | Induced expression, blue-white screening, antibiotic selection, and plasmid maintenance | Induction system, antibiotic resistance marker, host compatibility, and screening conditions |
Establishment of stable expression cells or gene function screening | Table 3: Expression Induction, Antibiotic Selection, and Clone Screening Reagents | Stable cell line establishment, expression cell screening, and gene function studies | Cell type, selection concentration, treatment duration, and compatibility with the culture system |
Extraction, lysis, purification, or protection of recombinant proteins | Table 4: Enzymatic Catalysis, Coenzyme Systems, and Protein Processing and Detection Reagents | Engineered bacterial lysis, protein extraction, inclusion body processing, and tagged protein purification | Lysis method, protein stability, denaturation and refolding conditions, and type of purification tag |
Studies on enzymatic catalysis, coenzyme regeneration, and redox metabolism | Table 4: Enzymatic Catalysis, Coenzyme Systems, and Protein Processing and Detection Reagents | Dehydrogenase reactions, reductase reactions, flavoprotein enzyme reactions, and transaminase reactions | Coenzyme type, reaction conditions, substrate compatibility, and redox state |
Metabolic engineering, product detection, and functional pathway analysis | Table 4: Enzymatic Catalysis, Coenzyme Systems, and Protein Processing and Detection Reagents; Table 5: Biomanufacturing-Related Raw Materials, Functional Ingredient Research Materials, and Downstream Analytical Standards | Metabolic pathway validation, enzyme activity assays, fermentation product analysis, and quantitative analysis of functional ingredients | Detection method, standard purity, sample pretreatment, and stability of the target product |
Development of food ingredients, functional ingredients, or precision fermentation-related products | Table 5: Biomanufacturing-Related Raw Materials, Functional Ingredient Research Materials, and Downstream Analytical Standards | Research on human milk oligosaccharides, rare sugars, functional amino acids, milk proteins, sweetening ingredients, and antioxidant ingredients | Product identity, purity requirements, impurity control, fermentation source, and quality standards |
Research on bio-based chemicals and material monomers | Table 5: Biomanufacturing-Related Raw Materials, Functional Ingredient Research Materials, and Downstream Analytical Standards | Research on organic acids, diols, bio-based monomers, and polymer precursors | Fermentation route, product concentration, analytical standards, and downstream conversion applications |
Research on natural product biosynthesis or semi-synthetic routes | Table 5: Biomanufacturing-Related Raw Materials, Functional Ingredient Research Materials, and Downstream Analytical Standards | Research related to natural products such as artemisinic acid, vanillin, and stevioside | Target molecular structure, pathway design, product detection, and standard reference comparison |
Complete R&D workflow from upstream construction to downstream products | Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 | Continuous research from gene construction, engineered strain screening, culture and fermentation, and enzymatic catalysis to product analysis | Construction accuracy, culture conditions, expression efficiency, reaction system, and product quality |
Table 1. Nucleic Acid Construction, Transformation, and Basic Buffer Reagents
Category | CAS No. | Aladdin Cat. No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Basic buffer reagent | 77-86-1 | Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris base) | For cell culture, ≥99.9% (T) | Used in buffer systems for molecular cloning, electrophoresis, protein purification, and enzymatic reactions | |
Nucleic acid construction and basic buffer reagent | 7365-45-9 | H1521474 | HEPES | Injection grade | Used to construct buffer systems for cell culture, enzymatic reactions, and nucleic acid-related experiments |
Nucleic acid protection and chelating reagent | 6381-92-6 | Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate dihydrate | For plant cell culture, ≥99% | Used for metal ion chelation, nucleic acid protection, and buffer preparation | |
Reducing and protective reagent | 3483-12-3 | DL-Dithiothreitol (DTT) | For electrophoresis, ≥99% | Used for protein reduction, enzyme activity protection, and electrophoresis sample processing | |
Reducing and protective reagent | 51805-45-9 | Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP HCl) | UltraBio™, suitable for electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE tested | Used for protein reduction, enzyme system protection, and electrophoresis sample processing | |
Solvent and reaction auxiliary reagent | 67-68-5 | Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) | Pharmaceutical grade, PharmPure™ | Used as an auxiliary for amplification of high-GC templates, small-molecule dissolution, and cell cryopreservation-related experiments | |
Nucleic acid electrophoresis reagent | 9012-36-6 | Agarose | Molecular biology grade, high EEO | Used for electrophoretic separation of DNA and RNA fragments and analysis of construction results | |
Nucleic acid construction and energy donor | 34369-07-8 | Adenosine 5′-triphosphate disodium salt hydrate | For cell culture, Moligand™, ≥99% | Used in ligase reactions, energy-dependent enzymatic reactions, and metabolic studies | |
Nucleic acid amplification raw material | 1927-31-7 | 2′-Deoxyadenosine 5′-triphosphate [dATP] trisodium salt trihydrate | Moligand™, ≥98% | Used in polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, and DNA synthesis reactions | |
Nucleic acid amplification raw material | 102783-51-7 | Deoxycytidine triphosphate sodium salt | ≥98% | Used in DNA amplification, sequencing, and nucleic acid synthesis systems | |
Nucleic acid amplification raw material | 93919-41-6 | UltraPure dGTP (100 mM) | BioReagent, DNase- and RNase-free, PCR reagent, endotoxin tested, UltraBio™, molecular biology grade, sterile, for DNA and RNA applications, ≥99%, 100 mM | Used in DNA amplification, sequencing, and molecular biology reaction systems | |
Nucleic acid amplification raw material | 27821-54-1 | 2′-Deoxythymidine 5′-triphosphate [dTTP] trisodium salt solution | ≥99%, 100 mM | Used in DNA amplification, sequencing, and nucleic acid synthesis reaction systems | |
Cell transformation and culture auxiliary reagent | 10035-04-8 | Calcium chloride dihydrate | For cell culture, insect cell culture, and plant cell culture, ≥99% | Used for preparation of competent cells, cell culture, and regulation of ionic environments | |
Yeast transformation reagent | 6108-17-4 | Lithium acetate dihydrate | UltraBio™, ≥99.0% (anhydrous basis) | Used for yeast transformation, plasmid introduction, and engineered strain construction | |
Nucleic acid transformation and biomolecule processing auxiliary | 25322-68-3 | Polyethylene oxide | Viscosity 65–115 cps | Used for nucleic acid transformation, biomolecule precipitation, and polymer-assisted processing |
Table 2. Basic Raw Materials for Culture Media, Cell Culture, and Fermentation
Category | CAS No. | Aladdin Cat. No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Fermentation carbon source | 50-99-7 | D432810 | D-(+)-Glucose | Anhydrous grade, PharmPure™, USP, BP, European Pharmacopoeia (Ph.Eur), ACS | Used for microbial fermentation, cell culture, and substrate supply for metabolic pathways |
Carbon source and protectant | 56-81-5 | Glycerol | For cell culture and insect cell culture, ≥99% (GC) | Used as a fermentation carbon source, for strain preservation, and as a cryoprotectant for cells | |
Complex nutrient source for culture media | 8013-01-2 | Yeast extract powder | For cell culture | Used for microbial culture, fermentation medium preparation, and support of engineered strain growth | |
Complex nitrogen source for culture media | 73049-73-7 | Yeast peptone | Suitable for microbiology, CellNourish™ Basic | Used for microbial culture, engineered strain expansion, and fermentation medium preparation | |
Complex nitrogen source for culture media | 91079-40-2 | Tryptone | CellNourish™ Basic, reagent grade | Used for engineered strain culture, expansion of expression systems, and fermentation medium preparation | |
Inorganic salt for culture media | 7647-14-5 | C111542 | Sodium chloride | For plant cell culture, ≥99.5% | Used for regulation of osmotic pressure and ionic strength in culture media and preparation of cell culture systems |
Phosphorus source for culture media | 7778-77-0 | Potassium dihydrogen phosphate | For plant cell culture, ≥99% | Used for phosphorus supplementation in culture media, buffer construction, and regulation of cell growth | |
Phosphorus source for culture media | 7758-11-4 | D433945 | Dipotassium hydrogen phosphate | Anhydrous grade, guaranteed reagent, suitable for analysis | Used for phosphorus supplementation in culture media, buffer construction, and regulation of fermentation processes |
Nitrogen source for culture media | 7783-20-2 | Ammonium sulfate | For plant cell culture, ≥99% | Used for inorganic nitrogen supplementation in fermentation media and protein precipitation experiments | |
Inorganic salt for culture media | 10034-99-8 | M434885 | Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate | Pharmaceutical grade, PharmPure™ | Used for magnesium ion supplementation, enzymatic reaction assistance, and preparation of cell culture systems |
Trace element for culture media | 7782-63-0 | Ferrous sulfate heptahydrate | For plant cell culture, ≥99% | Used for plant cell culture, trace element supplementation, and research on oxidoreductases | |
Vitamin for culture media | 68-19-9 | Vitamin B12 | For cell culture and insect cell culture | Used in cell culture, microbial metabolism studies, and nutrition fortification-related systems | |
Vitamin for culture media | 83-88-5 | (−)-Riboflavin | PharmPure™, USP | Used in cell culture, supplementation of flavin coenzyme precursors, and microbial metabolism studies | |
Vitamin for culture media | 58-85-5 | Biotin | PharmPure™, USP | Used in cell culture, carboxylase-related metabolic studies, and fermentation culture systems | |
Fermentation process auxiliary | 63148-62-9 | Silicone oil | Viscosity 5 cSt (25°C) | Used for defoaming during fermentation, liquid level control in culture systems, and maintenance of process stability |
Table 3. Expression Induction, Antibiotic Selection, and Clone Screening Reagents
Category | CAS No. | Aladdin Cat. No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Expression induction reagent | 367-93-1 | Isopropyl β-D-thiogalactopyranoside solution | Ready-made IPTG solution, for blue-white screening | Used for induction of expression, recombinant protein production, and clone screening systems | |
Chromogenic screening reagent | 7240-90-6 | 5-Bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl β-D-galactopyranoside | Ultrapure grade | Used for blue-white screening, reporter gene detection, and determination of cloning results | |
Antibiotic selection reagent | 69-52-3 | Ampicillin sodium | For cell culture | Used for plasmid selection, engineered strain culture, and clone screening experiments | |
Antibiotic selection reagent | 25389-94-0 | K742567 | Kanamycin sulfate | Potency ≥750 IU/mg | Used for engineered strain screening, plasmid maintenance, and antibiotic resistance marker systems |
Antibiotic selection reagent | 56-75-7 | Chloramphenicol solution (34 mg/mL, sterile) | Sterile-filtered, BioReagent, for cell culture, sterile, 34 mg/mL | Used for plasmid selection, maintenance of dual-plasmid systems, and engineered strain culture | |
Cell selection reagent | 58-58-2 | Puromycin | For cell culture, ready-made solution, from Streptomyces alboniger, 10 mg/mL in H₂O | Used for stable cell line selection, expression cell screening, and gene function studies |
Table 4. Enzymatic Catalysis, Coenzyme Systems, and Protein Processing and Detection Reagents
Category | CAS No. | Aladdin Cat. No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Protein denaturant | 57-13-6 | Urea | For cell culture, ≥99.5% (T) | Used for inclusion body dissolution, protein denaturation, and protein refolding studies | |
Protein denaturant | 50-01-1 | Guanidine hydrochloride | For protein analysis, ≥99.5% | Used for protein denaturation, inclusion body processing, and nucleic acid extraction-related experiments | |
Protease inhibitor | 329-98-6 | Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) | Moligand™, ≥98% (GC) | Used for protease inhibition and sample protection during protein extraction | |
Cell lysis enzyme | 12650-88-3 | Lysozyme from chicken egg white | Bioactive, ActiBioPure™, natural, high-performance, EnzymoPure™, ≥20,000 U/mg enzyme powder | Used for bacterial cell wall lysis, protein extraction, and engineered bacterial sample processing | |
Sample processing enzyme | 39450-01-6 | Proteinase K | EnzymoPure™, lyophilized powder, ≥30 units/mg protein | Used for nucleic acid extraction, protein degradation, and biological sample pretreatment | |
Protein purification reagent | 288-32-4 | Imidazole | Anhydrous grade, ACS, ≥99% | Used for histidine-tagged protein purification, elution systems, and recombinant protein preparation | |
Chromogenic detection substrate | 54827-17-7 | 3,3′,5,5′-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) | Standard for GC, ≥99% (GC) | Used for enzyme-linked detection, peroxidase chromogenic reactions, and biological sample analysis | |
Fluorescent staining reagent | 28718-90-3 | 4′,6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride | ≥98 | Used for DNA staining, nuclear observation, and detection in cell engineering experiments | |
Redox coenzyme | 53-84-9 | β-Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrate | Moligand™, for cell culture, ≥96.5% (HPLC), ≥96.5% (spectrophotometric assay), from yeast | Used in dehydrogenase reactions, redox metabolism, and enzymatic catalysis systems | |
Redox coenzyme | 606-68-8 | Reduced coenzyme I disodium salt (β-NADH) | ≥98% | Used in dehydrogenase reactions, redox catalysis, and metabolic detection systems | |
Redox coenzyme | 24292-60-2 | Oxidized coenzyme II disodium salt (β-NADP-Na₂) | ≥97% | Used in anabolic metabolism, oxidoreductase reactions, and metabolic pathway studies | |
Redox coenzyme | 2646-71-1 | Reduced coenzyme II tetrasodium salt hydrate (β-NADPH tetrasodium salt hydrate) | ≥99% | Used in reductase reactions, biosynthetic pathways, and coenzyme regeneration studies | |
Redox coenzyme | 84366-81-4 | Flavin adenine dinucleotide disodium salt hydrate | For cell culture, ≥95% | Used in flavoprotein enzyme reactions, redox catalysis, and metabolic engineering studies | |
Redox coenzyme | 130-40-5 | Riboflavin 5′-monophosphate sodium salt (FMN-Na) | European Pharmacopoeia (Ph.Eur) | Used in flavoprotein enzyme reactions, electron transfer studies, and metabolic pathway analysis | |
Amino acid metabolism coenzyme | 54-47-7 | Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) | Moligand™, for cell culture, ≥98% | Used in transaminase, decarboxylase, and amino acid metabolic pathway studies | |
Decarboxylase coenzyme | 154-87-0 | Thiamine pyrophosphate | ≥98% | Used in decarboxylase reactions, carbon chain transfer, and metabolic engineering studies | |
Heme cofactor | 16009-13-5 | Hemin chloride | Moligand™, ≥95% | Used in studies of heme proteins, cytochromes, and oxidoreductases | |
Redox regulation reagent | 70-18-8 | Glutathione, reduced form | PharmPure™, European Pharmacopoeia (Ph.Eur) | Used in protein folding, redox regulation, and cell protection-related studies |
Table 5. Biomanufacturing-Related Raw Materials, Functional Ingredient Research Materials, and Downstream Analytical Standards
Category | CAS No. | Aladdin Cat. No. | Name | Specification or Purity | Product Features and Applications |
Fermentation-derived functional polymer | 9067-32-7 | Sodium hyaluronate | Injection grade, molecular weight: 600,000–1,490,000 | Used in research on fermentation-derived polymer raw materials, medical materials, and quality standard analysis | |
Human milk oligosaccharide raw material | 41263-94-9 | 2′-Fucosyllactose | ≥95% | Used in human milk oligosaccharide research, precision fermentation product analysis, and food ingredient development | |
Human milk oligosaccharide raw material | 14116-68-8 | Lacto-N-tetraose (LNT) | ≥98% | Used in human milk oligosaccharide research, precision fermentation product analysis, and standard reference comparison | |
Human milk oligosaccharide raw material | 41312-47-4 | 3-Fucosyllactose (3-FL) | ≥99% | Used in human milk oligosaccharide research, fermentation product detection, and quality analysis of food ingredients | |
Human milk oligosaccharide raw material | 128596-80-5 | 3′-Sialyllactose sodium salt | ≥98% | Used in human milk oligosaccharide research, analysis of sialylated sugars, and precision fermentation product detection | |
Rare sugar raw material | 551-68-8 | D-Allulose | ≥98% | Used in rare sugar bioconversion research, enzymatic catalysis product analysis, food-related R&D, and standard reference comparison; actual food use must comply with local regulations, quality specifications, applicable populations, and intake requirements | |
Carbohydrate metabolism functional ingredient | 131-48-6 | N-Acetylneuraminic acid | ≥98% | Used in carbohydrate metabolism research, fermentation product analysis, and functional ingredient development | |
Precision fermentation protein-related raw material | 9045-23-2 | β-Lactoglobulin (BLG) | BioReagent, ≥95%, derived from milk | Milk-derived β-lactoglobulin reference material, used for milk protein research, comparison in precision-fermented protein studies, and food protein analysis | |
Fermentation-derived functional ingredient | 56-12-2 | γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) | Animal-origin-free, ≥99%, produced by enzymatic method | Used in functional food ingredient research, enzymatic conversion, and amino acid metabolism analysis | |
Fermentation-derived amino acid derivative | 3081-61-6 | L-Theanine | Animal-origin-free, ≥98%, produced by fermentation | Used in research on fermentation-derived functional ingredients, amino acid derivative analysis, and food ingredient development | |
Fermentation-derived functional ingredient | 497-30-3 | L-(+)-Ergothioneine | Moligand™, ≥98% | Used in research on microbial fermentation-derived functional ingredients, antioxidant systems, and cell protection experiments | |
Redox functional ingredient | 72909-34-3 | Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) | ≥98% (HPLC) | Used in redox metabolism research, functional ingredient analysis, and cell activity-related experiments | |
Food- and pharmaceutical-related functional ingredient | 50-81-7 | L-Ascorbic acid | UltraBio™, ultrapure grade, ≥99.5% (RT) | Used in research on vitamin raw materials, antioxidant systems, and cell culture-related experiments | |
Natural sweetening ingredient | 57817-89-7 | Stevioside | Moligand™, ≥80% (HPLC) | Used in research on sweetener biosynthesis, plant natural product analysis, and food formulation studies | |
Biomanufactured amino acid raw material | 56-86-0 | L-Glutamic acid | Animal-origin-free, USP, JP, European Pharmacopoeia (Ph.Eur), for cell culture, ≥98.5% | Used in fermentation amino acid research, cell culture, and metabolic pathway analysis | |
Biomanufactured amino acid raw material | 657-27-2 | L-Lysine hydrochloride | Animal-origin-free, USP, JP, European Pharmacopoeia (Ph.Eur), for cell culture, ≥98.5% | Used in fermentation amino acid research, cell culture, and nutrition fortification-related experiments | |
Biomanufactured amino acid raw material | 107-95-9 | β-Alanine | Moligand™, ≥99% | Used in amino acid metabolism research, fermentation product analysis, and biomanufacturing raw material development | |
Bio-based chemical | 50-21-5 | DL-Lactic acid | AR, 85–90% | Used in lactic acid fermentation research, polylactic acid raw material analysis, and organic acid detection | |
Bio-based chemical | 110-15-6 | Succinic acid | PharmPure™, ChP, JP, ACS, NF, crystalline | Used in fermentation organic acid research, bio-based chemical development, and metabolite analysis | |
Bio-based monomer | 97-65-4 | Itaconic acid | Chemically pure (CP), ≥99% | Used in bio-based material monomer research, fermentation product analysis, and polymer precursor development | |
Bio-based material raw material | 504-63-2 | 1,3-Propanediol | Standard for GC, ≥99.5% (GC) | Used in bio-based polyester monomer research, fermentation product analysis, and gas chromatography analytical standards | |
Biomanufactured flavor ingredient | 121-33-5 | Vanillin | Suitable for synthesis | Used in research on flavor compound biosynthesis, fermentation product analysis, and standard reference comparison | |
Natural product intermediate | 80286-58-4 | Artemisinic acid | ≥98% | Used in natural product biosynthesis research, metabolic engineering, and semi-synthetic route analysis |
Note: The above are representative Aladdin products related to scientific research, analytical testing, formulation research, and biomanufacturing. Some products can be used for fermentation product analysis, standard reference comparison, or process research, but this does not mean that the specific catalog item can be used directly as a raw material for food, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or industrial production. Actual use should be based on the official website specifications, COA, quality documents, and applicable regulations. For more product specifications, grades, and COA information, please search by “product name/CAS/catalog number” on the Aladdin website.
References
[1] National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Synthetic Biology. National Institutes of Health. Accessed 2026-06-03.
[2] National Human Genome Research Institute. Synthetic Biology. National Institutes of Health. Accessed 2026-06-03.
[3] Kitano S, Lin C, Foo J L, Chang M W. Synthetic biology: Learning the way toward high-precision biological design [J]. PLOS Biology, 2023, 21(4): e3002116.
[4] Purnick P E M, Weiss R. The second wave of synthetic biology: from modules to systems [J]. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 2009, 10(6): 410-422.
[5] Lee S Y, Kim H U, Chae T U, et al. A comprehensive metabolic map for production of bio-based chemicals [J]. Nature Catalysis, 2019, 2: 18-33.
[6] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Cell-based food and precision fermentation. FAO. Accessed 2026-06-03.
[7] Cravens A, Payne J, Smolke C D. Synthetic biology strategies for microbial biosynthesis of plant natural products [J]. Nature Communications, 2019, 10: 2142.
[8] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Biomanufacturing and Synthetic Biology. CDC/NIOSH. Accessed 2026-06-03.
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