Sunson Industrial Group Co., Ltd., in strategic collaboration with East China Normal University (ECNU), has successfully secured a patent for an artificially engineered, highly thermostable pepsin (Patent No.: CN115896073A). This milestone marks a significant breakthrough in Sunson’s continuous innovation within its core enzyme portfolio—proteases.

Overcoming the Thermal Stability Bottleneck
Natural pepsin, while effective in acidic environments, has historically suffered from poor thermal stability, leading to a rapid loss of enzymatic activity under high-temperature conditions. This limitation has long been a critical bottleneck in modern industrial applications, such as feed pelleting and food processing, where exposure to elevated temperatures is standard.

To address this industry-wide challenge, the newly patented technology focuses on the molecular modification of pepsin to drastically enhance its heat resistance. By leveraging advanced gene recombination and protein expression technologies, the research team achieved precise, artificial design optimization at the molecular level.

Technological Advantages: From Extraction to Fermentation
The core of this patent lies in the application of rational design and genetic engineering, marking a transition from traditional animal-tissue extraction to controllable microbial fermentation. The engineered pepsin mutant demonstrates a significantly prolonged half-life at high temperatures while maintaining high catalytic activity—effectively solving the common trade-off between enzyme stability and activity.

This achievement underscores Sunson’s profound technical expertise in protein and genetic engineering. It paves the way for breaking through the performance limits of natural enzyme preparations in extreme industrial scenarios.

The successful development of this highly thermostable pepsin unlocks vast commercial potential across multiple sectors.

A Model of Industry-Academia Collaboration
This patent stands as a prime example of the powerful synergy between industry and academia. By combining Sunson’s deep industrial manufacturing capabilities and market insights with ECNU’s cutting-edge expertise in structural biology and molecular design, the partnership has significantly shortened the transition from laboratory research to industrial-scale production.

“This breakthrough is more than just a single product upgrade; it proves Sunson’s capability for custom enzyme development tailored to extreme industrial environments,” said a spokesperson for Sunson’s R&D department. “We are accelerating our transformation from a traditional enzyme manufacturer to an enzyme design expert driven by synthetic biology, strengthening our global competitiveness.”

Sunson remains committed to investing in core enzyme research and development, leveraging molecular engineering to deliver higher-value, more efficient, and sustainable bio-solutions to clients worldwide.

About Sunson
Sunson is a leading enzyme enterprise in China dedicated to the R&D, production, and sales of enzyme products. With decades of deep expertise in the protease sector, Sunson continuously provides innovative and sustainable bio-solutions for the feed, food, brewing, and textile industries worldwide.