SHANGHAI, (Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2026) China's efforts to combine artificial intelligence with biotechnology are moving from computer models to laboratory experiments, as a national research facility has launched an automated platform capable of rapidly turning AI-designed proteins into physical samples for testing, potentially shortening a process that has traditionally taken months.
According to China Daily, the platform was jointly developed by the National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai and Shanghai-based Kangma (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co. Using cell-free protein synthesis technology, the automated system can produce up to 10,000 proteins a day, according to its developers. They say the platform addresses one of the biggest hurdles in AI-driven protein research by enabling scientists to quickly manufacture and experimentally test proteins designed using computers.
"The bottleneck is no longer protein design," Wu Jiarui, Director of the National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, said. "AI can generate protein sequences very quickly, but they still have to be synthesised and experimentally verified. This platform bridges that gap."
The project reflects a broader global race to combine AI with laboratory automation as pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms seek to accelerate the discovery of new drugs, industrial enzymes and novel protein-based materials.
