Synthetic biology is a branch of research that includes engineering organisms to have new capacities in order to modify them for practical uses. Researchers and firms using synthetic biology are leveraging nature's strength to tackle challenges in health, industry, and agriculture.
China’s synthetic biology market is segmented by product, technology, and application. Based on product, the market is sub-segmented into enabling products, core products, and enabled products. Based on technology, the market is sub-segmented into gene synthesis and sequencing, genome engineering, bioinformatics, and others. Based on application, the market is sub-segmented into medical applications, industrial applications, food and agriculture, and environmental applications.
Market Drivers and Forecast
According to OMR Research, the China synthetic biology market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 18.97% during the forecast period (2023-2029). The rising R&D in synthetic biology is widening the scope of its applications in medicine (for instance, to find cancer treatments), agriculture, and the life sciences, and industrial applications, which will drive the market’s growth. Furthermore, as the frequency of extreme weather events that destroy crops increases, there is a rising need to use synthetic biology to generate more climate-tolerant crops.
The rise in spending on synthetic biology by public and private market players also boosts market growth. For instance, in August 2019, Hong Kong plastics and real estate billionaire Li Ka Shing's charitable foundation made a contribution of HK$500 million ($63 million) to establish a major institution for synthetic biology research at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). The new institution is looking for top worldwide talent to do research in synthetic biology, which combines biological materials and processes with the design/test/build mentality of engineering.
Besides, various organizations in China support synthetic biology research, which boosts the market’s growth. These organizations include the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), the national and local offices of the China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology (CAM), the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and medical universities. Many sources of funding for synthetic biology research also exist in China, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, state-level laboratories, and the CAS Knowledge Innovation Program.
Recent Developments
The key players in China’s synthetic biology market include Desktop Genetics, Ltd., E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., GenScript Biotech Corp., Ginkgo Bioworks (The Organism Co.), Merck KGaA, Synthetic Genomics, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Twist Bioscience Corp., and Vedanta Biosciences, Inc., among others. These companies are performing various developmental activities to boost the market’s growth in China, such as mergers, investments, new product launches, and others. Some of the recent developments in the market include-
• In October 2022, the CABIO R&D Center investment project officially began in Wuhan Optical Valley. On the same day, the ground-breaking ceremony for the "Wuhan Synthetic Biology Innovation Center," a joint venture between CABIO Biotech (Wuhan) Co., Ltd., Hubei Yangtze Science Innovation Service Co., Ltd., and the Wuhan Institute of Industrial Innovation and Development, was also conducted. The Wuhan Synthetic Biology Innovation Center seeks to effectively broaden the application scope of synthetic biology technologies, promote industry standards, and construct comprehensive synthetic biology scientific and technological innovation and industry transformation systems.
• In 2022, XJTLU-CHINA, a group of undergraduates from Xi'an Jiaotong University and Liverpool University, was awarded a Gold Prize and selected for the Best Environment Project in the 2022 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM). Students from the Biological Sciences, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, and Applied Mathematics programs presented their project, “Application of new biofilm in industrial wastewater treatment.” The team created a water filter by altering E. coli biofilms to absorb a range of heavy metal ions, which can help reduce heavy metal contamination in wastewater.
• In July 2022, Angel Yeast, a global yeast and yeast extract company, and Beijing PhaBuilder Biotechnology collaborated to establish a significant production base for biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) polyesters in Yichang, China. The partners plan to form a joint venture business to advance the use of synthetic biology in the biotechnology industry.
• In July 2022, Huili Biotechnology raised over CNY 300 million (about $44 million) in Series A funding led by Legend Capital and BioTrack Capital, with Cenova Capital, Yunqi Partners, and ZWC Partners also participating. The funds will be used to expedite the development and operation of large-scale manufacturing facilities, to develop new product pipelines, and to grow the team.