Zymo Research Ranks Among Top Performers in International AI Antibody Design Challenge

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zymo Research, a leader in biotechnology and protein engineering, demonstrated top-tier performance in the AIntibody Design Challenge, an international benchmark of AI-driven antibody discovery inspired by the Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction (CASP). In the affinity maturation challenge, Zymo Research's computational protein engineering platform ranked among the top four teams, generating antibody variants with substantially improved binding affinity.

The AIntibody Design Challenge brought together 29 organizations across academia, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry to evaluate state-of-the-art computational approaches for antibody discovery through a blinded, prospective competition. More than 500 AI-optimized or AI-designed antibodies were submitted, synthesized, expressed, and experimentally evaluated using standardized affinity and developability assays, providing a rigorous assessment of computational antibody design. Results from the challenge were reported in the Nature Biotechnology article, "A Blinded, Prospective Benchmark of In Silico Antibody Discovery Anchored to Experimental Affinity and Developability."

Among the notable results, Zymo Research designed antibody variants with up to 75-fold improvements in binding affinity compared with their parent molecules. The team also generated candidates achieving picomolar-level binding affinities. Altogether, Zymo Research's performance placed the company ahead of most pharmaceutical and AI biotechnology participants in the affinity maturation challenge.

"Achieving top-tier performance in a blinded, experimentally validated challenge is an important demonstration of what our computational protein engineering platform can deliver," said Dr. Larry Jia, Founder and CEO, Zymo Research. 

The strong performance in AIntibody's affinity maturation challenge highlights Zymo Research's capabilities in computational protein engineering. Building on this foundation, Zymo Research is continuing to invest in computational infrastructure and expand its AI-driven protein design and engineering platform. These investments reflect the company's commitment to advancing computational approaches in biotechnology and fostering collaborations with innovators in AI, sequencing, protein engineering, and related fields. Organizations interested in exploring collaborations with Zymo Research are invited to submit an inquiry through our Biotech Custom Manufacturing Solutions page.

About Zymo Research Corp.

Zymo Research, a privately owned biotech company founded in 1994, is a global leader in molecular tools for life sciences. Driven by the principle "The Beauty of Science is to Make Things Simple," Zymo Research is dedicated to developing innovative solutions that address complex scientific challenges. Zymo Research offers a comprehensive range of technologies, including solutions for sample collection, DNA/RNA purification, library preparation, microbiomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, genomics, and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) services.

In addition to its cutting-edge technologies, Zymo Research is committed to sustainability. By engineering environmentally friendly solutions, the company strives to reduce waste and contribute to a more sustainable future through scientific innovation.

For more information, please visit www.zymoresearch.com.

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SOURCE Zymo Research Corp.