https://j.people.com.cn/n3/2026/0211/c95952-20425045.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405805X25000882
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960852425002603?via%3Dihub
Squalene is a natural lipid with antioxidant and moisturising properties. It is used in vaccine adjuvants, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and health foods.
A research team led by Professor Wei Dongzhi of East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) used advanced biomanufacturing technology to prepare high-purity squalene through E. coli or yeast fermentation. Yields in E. coli exceeded 1 g/L, but in yeast 55,8 g/L. The calculated production volume per 20-ton fermenter is equivalent to the amount of squalene extracted from 3,000 sharks, significantly increasing production capacity and completely eliminating dependence on marine organisms.
The groundbreaking technology behind this is a multi-enzyme cooperative catalytic system. Through unique multi-organelle engineering, the team “fixed” synthetic reactions within specific organelles, further concentrating the reaction space and dramatically increasing reaction efficiency.
