Chinese Academy of Sciences

SHANGHAI, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UltraDx Bio is proud to announce that its flagship product, the UD-X™ Fully Automated Single-Molecule Array Fluorescence Immunoassay Analyzer, has received its first clinical registration approval in China. This groundbreaking achievement is now officially listed on the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) website (Registration Certificate No.: JXZZ 20242220334) and marks a significant milestone in the field of medical diagnostics. The UD-X™ Single-Molecule Analyzer is designed for the ultra-sensitive detection and quantification of trace protein biomarkers in body fluids, reaching sensitivity levels at the fg/ml scale. This technology will be utilized alongside soon-to-be-approved companion assay kits, addressing the precision detection needs of clinical diagnostics and community health screenings. Continue Reading Jay Dong, CEO of UltraDx Bio Academician George Fu Gao, the Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Foreign Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences , the foreign member of the Royal Academy Academician Guoliang Xu, the Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a researcher at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Prof. Jintai Yu, of National Clinical Center for Neurological diseases in Shanghai, Deputy Director of Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Executive Deputy Director of Institute of Neurology, Fudan University, and Vice Chairman of the Youth Committee of Neurology Branch of Chinese Medical Association

SHENZHEN, China, July 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shenzhen Synthetica Pioneering Co., Ltd. (Synthetica), a biotech startup specializing in synthetic biology for engineering novel living bacterial therapeutics, has recently closed a Series A funding round, led by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Temasek, with additional participation from Lenovo Capital, Fosun Health Capital and ATLATL Summer Fund. The funding will be used to fast-track Synthetica's oncolytic bacterial pipelines into clinical trials. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Synthetica is a biotech company founded in 2023, specializing in genetic circuit engineering and precise control of genes and payloads to treat various diseases. Synthetica is currently focused on developing oncolytic bacterial therapies for treating solid tumors. With a deep understanding of biological mechanisms and advanced synthetic biology techniques, Synthetica is aiming to create innovative bacterial treatments that are safe, effective, versatile, and minimally invasive to fight cancer. Synthetica's CEO, Yingke He stated: "Securing this funding marks a pivotal moment for our young company as we advance the frontier of cancer treatment. Our innovative synthetic biology approach to developing oncolytic bacteria offers new hope for more effective and targeted therapies. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our technology contributors and financial investors for their trust and support. Together we will drive this breakthrough science forward, and make significant advancements in the fight against cancer, bringing us closer to transforming patients' lives worldwide." Dr. Mia Hu, Investment Director, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, commented: "Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF) is committed to invest in innovative therapeutics that address unmet patient needs. Oncolytic bacterial therapy remains a key strategic focus for the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund. The Synthetica team, with its years of expertise in quantitative synthetic biology, is pioneering the development of innovative bacterial therapies for various indications. We are thrilled to support Synthetica in their ongoing efforts to advance next-generation bacterial therapies for the treatment of solid tumors, with the ultimate goal of transforming the lives of more people living with cancer." About Shenzhen Synthetica Pioneering Co . , Ltd. Shenzhen Synthetica Pioneering Co., Ltd., a spin-off from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is a biotech company that harnesses synthetic biology techniques to engineer novel living bacterial therapeutics, addressing unmet medical needs across a range of diseases. Current lead programs focus on therapies for solid tumors. About Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund Created in 2010, the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (invests in ground-breaking companies to drive innovation in biomedical research. It is searching for significant enhancements in patient care through pioneering science and its clinical translation by building long-term relationships with scientists and entrepreneurs. The Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund's focus is to target unprecedented concepts addressing high unmet patient needs in immuno-oncology, regenerative medicine, infectious diseases and digital health. For more information, please visit: . About Temasek Temasek is a global investment company headquartered in Singapore, with a net portfolio value of S$389 billion as at 31 March 2024. Marking its unlisted assets to market would provide S$31 billion of value uplift and bring its mark to market net portfolio value to S$420 billion. Temasek's Purpose "So Every Generation Prospers" guides it to make a difference for today's and future generations. Operating on commercial principles, Temasek seeks to deliver sustainable returns over the long term. It has 13 offices in 9 countries around the world: Beijing, Hanoi, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Singapore in Asia; and Brussels, London, Mexico City, New York, Paris, San Francisco, and Washington, DC outside Asia. For more information on Temasek, please visit .  About Lenovo Capital Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group, as Lenovo's global technology industry fund, aims to leverage Lenovo's global resources to invest in and incubate future technology developments. Lenovo Capital focuses on technology industry investments, aligning with Lenovo's "end-edge-cloud-network-intelligence" new IT architecture, supporting Lenovo Group's service-oriented transformation and technology-driven innovation strategy. They have invested in over 250 portfolio companies, with 18 of them have been successfully listed, more than 40 becoming industry leaders, and over 100 have been rated as national and provincial level Specialized, Refined, Differential and Innovational Enterprises. Around 90% of the portfolios are centered around core technologies, including artificial intelligence, semiconductor chips, smart manufacturing, robotics, and mixed reality, among others. About Fosun Health Capital Shanghai Fosun Health Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd, known as "Fosun Health Capital (FHC)," is the core CVC investment platform initiated and established by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (Fosun Pharma), which leverages Fosun Pharma's 30-year accumulation in the pharmaceutical field and its profound experience in cooperating with world-class partners. FHC, embodying a strategic dedication to healthcare investment, manages 11 funds with AUM over 10 billion RMB. FHC has covered investments from early-stage ventures to mature enterprises, spanning multiple areas including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics. Fosun Health Capital focuses on a comprehensive strategy that combines investment and industry expertise, offering support that spans from scientific research to operational guidance, to empower its portfolio companies throughout their entire lifecycle and drive their sustainable growth. FHC upholds the tenets of value investing, becoming a discoverer, connector, and long-term strategic partner of worldwide top-tier investment prospects. About ATLATL Summer fund ATLATL Summer Fund was jointly established by ATLATL Innovation Group and Summer Capital in 2023. The fund is focused on early innovation value discovery and consolidates the resources of both parties, striving to achieve ecological empowerment and accelerated incubation for the portfolio companies and innovation ecosystem. Through the "Investment + infrastructure" model, the aim is to build integrated value chain of innovation services based on the infrastructure of ATLATL, supplemented by early venture capital platform of Summer Capital, promoting the continuous acceleration of life science innovation. CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE Shenzhen Synthetica Pioneering Co., Ltd.

The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising candidate for Mars colonization thanks to its extreme ability to tolerate harsh conditions lethal to most life forms. The moss is well known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, but researchers now report that it can also survive freezing temperatures as low as 196 C, high levels of gamma radiation, and simulated Martian conditions involving these three stressors combined. In all cases, prior dehydration seemed to help the plants cope. The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising candidate for Mars colonization thanks to its extreme ability to tolerate harsh conditions lethal to most life forms. The moss is well known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, but researchers report June 30 in the journal The Innovation that it can also survive freezing temperatures as low as −196°C, high levels of gamma radiation, and simulated Martian conditions involving these three stressors combined. In all cases, prior dehydration seemed to help the plants cope. "Our study shows that the environmental resilience of S. caninervis is superior to that of some of highly stress-tolerant microorganisms and tardigrades," write the researchers, who include ecologists Daoyuan Zhang and Yuanming Zhang and botanist Tingyun Kuang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "S. caninervis is a promising candidate pioneer plant for colonizing extraterrestrial environments, laying the foundation for building biologically sustainable human habitats beyond Earth." A small number of previous studies have tested the ability of microorganisms, algae, lichens, and plant spores to withstand the extreme environments of outer space or Mars, but this is the first study to test whole plants. Syntrichia caninervis is a common moss species with a widespread global distribution. It grows in remarkably extreme desert environments including Tibet, Antarctica, and the circumpolar regions as part of the biological soil crust -- a widespread and resilient type of ground cover often found in arid lands. Given the moss's ability to survive extreme environmental conditions, the researchers decided to test its limits in the lab. To test the moss's cold tolerance, the researchers stored plants at −80°C (in an ultra-cold freezer) for 3 and 5 years and at −196°C (in a liquid nitrogen tank) for 15 and 30 days. In all cases, the plants regenerated when they were defrosted, though their rebound was less rapid compared to control specimens that had been dehydrated but not frozen, and plants that were not dehydrated prior to freezing rebounded more slowly than plants that were dried, then frozen. The moss also demonstrated the ability to survive gamma radiation exposure that would kill most plants, and doses of 500 Gy even seemed to promote the plants' growth. For comparison, humans experience severe convulsions and death when exposed to around 50 Gy. "Our results indicate that S. caninervis is among the most radiation-tolerant organisms known," the researchers write. Finally, the researchers tested the moss's ability to endure Mars-like conditions using the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Planetary Atmospheres Simulation Facility. The simulator's Martian conditions included air composed of 95% CO2, temperatures that fluctuated from −60°C to 20°C, high levels of UV radiation, and low atmospheric pressure. Dried moss plants achieved a 100% regeneration rate within 30 days after being subjected to the Martian conditions for 1, 2, 3, and 7 days. Hydrated plants, which were only subjected to the simulator for one day, also survived, though they regenerated more slowly than their desiccated counterparts. "Although there is still a long way to go to create self-sufficient habitats on other planets, we demonstrated the great potential of S. caninervis as a pioneer plant for growth on Mars," the researchers write. "Looking to the future, we expect that this promising moss could be brought to Mars or the Moon to further test the possibility of plant colonization and growth in outer space." This research was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Leading Talents in Technological Innovation Program, and The Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition Program.