Leadsynbio has been honored with second prize of the Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award

Recently, the project “Development and Application of Enzyme Catalysis Technology Based on  L-Threonine transaldolase,” independently developed by Leadsynbio, won the second prize of Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award. Simultaneously, the project’s achievements were selected as a landmark product in the 2026 Hunan Provincial Future Industry Innovation and Development Excellent Typical Cases, gaining dual provincial authoritative recognition.

This project, with its wholly-owned subsidiary Hunan Leadsynbio serving as the industrialization base and application entity, while the technology development originated from Suzhou Leadsynbio, successfully achieved the entire chain from original technology to large-scale production.

This award-winning technology has been successfully applied to the large-scale production of D-ethyl ester, a key intermediate of florfenicol. Addressing the long-standing bottlenecks of high energy consumption and high emissions of pollutants associated with traditional chemical processes, Leadsynbio, based on its self-built synthetic biology technology platform, has completed the discovery, performance identification, enzyme engineering modification, and in-depth optimization of the catalytic process of L-Threonine transaldolase (LTTA). This has enabled the world’s first large-scale production of D-ethyl ester using a biological method, achieving a nearly 60% reduction in production costs and a more than 80% reduction in pollutant emissions.

In terms of intellectual property, Leadsynbio has carried out a systematic and comprehensive patent layout for the core technology of D-ethyl ester, and has obtained 7 authorized invention patents, which fully cover key technical links such as enzyme catalysis innovative routes, enzyme engineering molecular modification, enzyme catalysis process reaction efficiency improvement and green purification process. Through the patent matrix and trade secret collaborative protection, it has built a complete technical barrier system that is difficult to break through and avoid in the industry.

Building upon this foundation, the company has constructed a production line for D-ethyl ester’s key starting material (4-Methylsulphonyl benzaldehyde), and further extended downstream, establishing a complete industrial chain from key intermediates to end-use APIs. This has enabled the company to produce florfenicol, achieving a closed-loop industrial chain from basic chemical raw materials to key intermediates to end-use APIs. Currently, Leadsynbio has become a top company in the niche market, holding a leading share globally.

Behind this achievement lies Leadsynbio’s over a decade of deep-rooted technological accumulation in the field of synthetic biology. The company has independently built two core technology systems: enzyme catalysis and cell factory fermentation, forming an integrated innovation platform spanning “laboratory process development—pilot-scale verification—large-scale production.” In the field of enzyme catalysis, products such as D-ethyl ester, L-Norvaline, L-BASE, and R-HPBE have achieved large-scale production; in the field of cell factory fermentation, representative products such as NMN, NAD, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ have achieved stable supply. Meanwhile, a series of new products under development, including L-selenomethionine and β-Carotene, have achieved key technological breakthroughs and are about to enter the large-scale production stage, fully Leadsynbio’s mature engineering capabilities and sustainable product pipeline expansion capabilities.

As one of the leading representatives of China’s biomanufacturing sector in promoting the development of new productivity, Leadsynbio will continue to drive technological innovation, continuously enrich its product pipeline, and contribute to the high-quality development of the industry with its solid industrialization capabilities.