Farewell to "sky-high" health products: Invisible microbial factories, how to make nutrition universal

The fish oil capsules we take in the morning may no longer come from deep-sea fish, but rather from microbes with precise engineering. The antioxidants we consume might originate from cotton plants rather than chemical laboratories. This is the transformative power of synthetic biology—— By designing and reprogramming biological systems, cells become "micro-factories" that efficiently produce specific compounds.

In recent years, synthetic biology has achieved remarkable breakthroughs in the health supplement industry. The report "Synthetic Biology and Nutritional Health Trend Insights" jointly released by Jiayiyou and New Nutrition points out that this technology is transitioning from laboratories to dining tables, transforming the fundamental principles of the nutritional health industry by moving from conceptual ideas to practical products.

HMOs are unique components of breast milk that are critical for infants' immune systems and gut health. Using synthetic biology, researchers have harnessed microbial factories to mass-produce HMOs.

AKK bacteria (Akkermansia muciniphila), a natural symbiotic organism in the human gut, has been hailed as the "next-generation probiotic" due to its remarkable potential in metabolic regulation and anti-inflammatory effects. Yuan Derivation Company collaborated with Tianjin University's Zhejiang Research Institute to develop the AKK001 strain.

Methylsulfoxide is a powerful natural antioxidant found in mushrooms and some grains. Now, through synthetic biology, it can be mass-produced using microbial factories.

The transformative impact of synthetic biology on the health supplement industry extends far beyond production method upgrades—it represents a profound revolution in health equity, ecological sustainability, and industrial logic. What we witness is not merely technological breakthroughs, but a vivid demonstration of "technology for good" in the health sector. This innovation breaks down barriers to natural resource scarcity, making premium nutrition accessible to all rather than an exclusive privilege. It fundamentally reshapes the relationship between industry and nature, ensuring that the creation of health products no longer conflicts with ecological conservation efforts.