Yichang home to Hubei’s first synthetic biology industrial park
2023-06-04 15:06:32
By Zeng Lei, Yichang International Communication Studio
Hubei Synthetic Bio-Industrial Park was inaugurated in Yichang’s Xiaoting district on June 3.
The new park in the southern part of Xiaoting District is the first synthetic bio-industrial park in Hubei province. It will cover an area of about 330 hectares.
Synthetic biology is a field of science that involves modifying or creating biological organisms. For example, integrating spider DNA into a silkworm can make it possible for the silkworm to produce very strong, ultra-lightweight silk.
Synthetic biology is a foundational technology for many industries in China.
The park will be home to R&D platforms such as Tsinghua University and to commercial projects from firms such as Angel Yeast and Huadong Medicine. Yichang-based Angel Yeast is Asia’s largest yeast manufacturer.
On the day the park was inaugurated, Hubei Weiqi Biotechnology announced a 1.05 billion yuan (US$148 million) intelligent green manufacturing project, which will produce 30,000 tonnes of synthetic biological polyhydroxyalkanoate products annually. Hubei Weiqi is a joint venture set up by Beijing PhaBuilder Biotechnology and Angel Yeast in September 2022.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates, better known as PHA, are polyesters produced naturally by numerous microorganisms, including through bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. When produced by bacteria, they serve as both a source of energy and as a carbon store. PHA can be used to produce bioplastics which are biodegradable.
Hubei Weiqi will build the world's largest PHA production line in the park. The products will be widely used in medical applications, cosmetology, food packaging, bio-fibers and other fields.
Hubei Synthetic Bio-Industrial Park plans to develop a 50 billion yuan industrial cluster by 2035.
The value of the projects being developed in the park is around 5 billion yuan. When the projects come onstream, the annual output value is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan.
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Hubei Weiqi Biotechnology project.
Hubei Synthetic Bio-Industrial Park was inaugurated in Yichang’s Xiaoting district on June 3.
The new park in the southern part of Xiaoting District is the first synthetic bio-industrial park in Hubei province. It will cover an area of about 330 hectares.
Synthetic biology is a field of science that involves modifying or creating biological organisms. For example, integrating spider DNA into a silkworm can make it possible for the silkworm to produce very strong, ultra-lightweight silk.
Synthetic biology is a foundational technology for many industries in China.
The park will be home to R&D platforms such as Tsinghua University and to commercial projects from firms such as Angel Yeast and Huadong Medicine. Yichang-based Angel Yeast is Asia’s largest yeast manufacturer.
On the day the park was inaugurated, Hubei Weiqi Biotechnology announced a 1.05 billion yuan (US$148 million) intelligent green manufacturing project, which will produce 30,000 tonnes of synthetic biological polyhydroxyalkanoate products annually. Hubei Weiqi is a joint venture set up by Beijing PhaBuilder Biotechnology and Angel Yeast in September 2022.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates, better known as PHA, are polyesters produced naturally by numerous microorganisms, including through bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. When produced by bacteria, they serve as both a source of energy and as a carbon store. PHA can be used to produce bioplastics which are biodegradable.
Hubei Weiqi will build the world's largest PHA production line in the park. The products will be widely used in medical applications, cosmetology, food packaging, bio-fibers and other fields.
Hubei Synthetic Bio-Industrial Park plans to develop a 50 billion yuan industrial cluster by 2035.
The value of the projects being developed in the park is around 5 billion yuan. When the projects come onstream, the annual output value is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan.
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Hubei Weiqi Biotechnology project.
