Changjiang Cup 2026 Global AI Protein Design Challenge: Seven Targets Announced, RushDATA™ Wet-Lab Platform Ready

Design phase opens with 1,800+ teams, a CNY 1.4 million prize pool, and 7,000 free wet-lab validations. 

November 1, 2026. The Changjiang Cup 2026 Global AI Protein Design Challenge has released its seven design targets and full competition rules, officially opening the design phase. Teams have until November 30 to submit AI-designed sequences, and selected designs move into wet-lab testing to generate real binding and functional data.

Since registration opened in September, the challenge has drawn more than 1,800 teams and 4,000 participants from over 20 countries and regions. The program has also grown: the prize pool now stands at CNY 1.4 million (pre-tax), and approximately 7,000 designed sequences will receive free wet-lab validation.

As a sponsor of the challenge, Biointron provides the wet-lab interface through our RushDATA™ high-throughput validation platform, closing the loop from in silico design to experimentally verified, functional protein.

How RushDATA™ Powers the Changjiang Cup

AI-designed proteins only prove their value in the lab. RushDATA™ gives challenge teams fast, standardized wet-lab data at the scale AI design demands.

10,000+ antibodies expressed and screened per day: RushDATA™ expresses and screens more than 10,000 antibody molecules in a single day. Automation and API integration deliver standardized, AI-ready data that feeds directly back into model iteration, connecting the dry lab and the wet lab.

Dual expression systems: cell-free and CHO: Biointron runs both a cell-free expression platform, with design to data in as little as 2 days, and a CHO expression platform, with design to data in as little as 3 days.

Multi-parameter developability, measured in parallel: RushDATA captures thermal stability, aggregation, self-interaction and nonspecific binding data side by side. Teams can quickly identify well-balanced candidates instead of chasing inflated predicted binding scores.

Case Studies

• RushDATA™ took 4,000+ antibodies from expression to multi-concentration SPR binding characterization in 9 days.

• For 97 AI-designed sequences, RushDATA™ delivered a full dataset covering BVP, AC-SINS, DSF and cGE within two weeks, supporting AI model training and sequence optimization.

The Challenge at a Glance

• Seven targets: EGFR, TNF-α, GLP-1R, TfR1, TL1A, TNFR1 and IL-7Rα, across VHH and minibinder tracks

• Free wet-lab validation: about 7,000 sequences, with the top 50 per track receiving additional developability and cell-based activity testing

• Ranking: by measured KD, so lab data decides the winners

• Prize pool: CNY 1.4 million (pre-tax)

• Submission deadline: November 30, 2026

• Participants: teams from Stanford, Caltech, Cambridge, Imperial College London, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai AI Laboratory, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory and more, alongside industry R&D teams

We look forward to seeing high-quality designs from every team, and to helping turn AI-designed sequences into validated, functional proteins. Best of luck to all participants!

About Biointron

Founded in 2012, Biointron is a global antibody discovery CRO trusted by 3,000+ organizations in 20+ countries and regions. Our RushDATA™ platform turns AI-designed antibodies into real data fast, expressing 10,000+ antibodies a day and delivering binding and developability results in as little as 2 days, ready to feed your models via API. We also offer end-to-end antibody services from discovery to large-scale production, including our CHOK1BN cell line, already used in partner programs in clinical trials.

Learn More

• Full challenge rules: aiprotein.sjtu.edu.cn

• Biointron and RushDATA™ inquiries: info@biointron.com

• Learn more about RushDATA™: https://www.biointron.com/antibody-production/rushdata.html