On March 14, Professor Zhang Xian-En, Dean of the Faculty of Synthetic Biology, along with Professors Zhao Yong, Hu Qiang, Zhang Zenghui, Lan Jinggang, and Researcher Li Nan, led 70 students from Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT) on a visit to Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd. (Biokangtai), a leading domestic vaccine enterprise. Biokangtai’s Vice President Gan Jianhui and his team hosted the group, offering an immersive experience through enterprise exhibition tours, technical lectures, and industry-academia dialogues, allowing students to engage with cutting-edge innovations in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Enterprise Exhibition Tour:

In Biokangtai’s exhibition hall, Manager Wu Shu guided faculty and students through an immersive journey of China’s vaccine development history: from the birth of the first hepatitis B vaccine to holographic projections of intelligent production lines, and the global health mission’s footprint, showcasing the deep-rooted commitment to science-driven national service in every detail.

Opening Address:

Vice President Gan Jianhui of Biokangtai warmly welcomed the Faculty of Synthetic Biology’s faculty and students to the frontline of enterprise operations. He expressed eagerness for deeper industry-academia-research collaboration with the Faculty in vaccine development and technological innovation.

Keynote Lecture:Vaccine Technology and Industrialization

Biokangtai’s Deputy Manager Wang Zhuxi delivered a keynote lecture titledIntroduction to Vaccine Technology and Industrialization, systematically outlining the full innovation process from decoding genetic codes to large-scale vaccine production. Through an in-depth analysis of the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine process, he highlighted the transformative applications of synthetic biology in vaccine design.

Industry-Academia Dialogue:Students Engage with Vaccine R&D Experts

“How did COVID-19 vaccines go from R&D to widespread use in just three years, compared to the usual 12 years—what were the accelerators?” “Can AI break through the bottlenecks of traditional vaccine development cycles?” “What role do adjuvants (like aluminum hydroxide) play in vaccines, and why develop universal adjuvants?” Facing a series of high-quality questions from students, Vice President Gan Jianhui noted that these questions directly address core challenges in vaccine R&D. He expressed hope that more young talents would join the vaccine research field to explore the future of life sciences together.

Professor Zhang Xian-En expressed gratitude to Biokangtai for providing students with the opportunity to experience cutting-edge vaccine R&D and industrialization practices firsthand, underscoring the central role of synthetic biology in vaccine innovation. Moving forward, the Faculty will continue to expand university-enterprise collaborations, guiding students into more biotech enterprises to explore the allure of synthetic biology.