DALIAN, China – A research team led by Wang Qing, a doctoral student at Dalian University of Technology, has developed the world’s first non-biological endotoxin detection system, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional methods that rely on the blood of horseshoe crabs, a species now facing extinction.
Breakthrough in Pharmaceutical Safety Testing
Every vaccine and intravenous infusion must undergo endotoxin testing before it can be administered to humans. For decades, the global pharmaceutical and medical device industry has depended on limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) reagents derived from the blue blood of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus and related species). These “living fossils,” which have existed for over 400 million years, are classified as a national second-level protected animal in China and are increasingly threatened by overharvesting for blood extraction.
“Witnessing the sharp decline in horseshoe crab populations due to live blood extraction, and the rising cost of LAL reagents that has hindered local enterprises, we asked ourselves whether a non-animal-based solution could be developed,” said Wang Qing, a doctoral student at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Dalian University of Technology and the lead researcher of the project.
In September 2023, Wang Qing, under the guidance of his faculty advisor, assembled an interdisciplinary team spanning mechanical engineering, bioengineering, and business management. The team spent three years studying the LAL supply chain, visiting companies from raw material collection to testing facilities, and documenting every stage of the process.
The result is the PSO (optical super-sensing probe) endotoxin detection system, the world’s first 100% bio-free endotoxin detection technology. The team integrated “blue-blood-like” polypeptide molecules onto the surface of optical fibers, enabling precise endotoxin recognition without the use of any animal-derived components.
“Our detection speed is 200 times faster than traditional LAL-based methods, while the testing cost is reduced by 40%,” said Zhang Lei, associate professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering and the team’s faculty advisor. “We have also achieved real-time in-situ monitoring, a technological leap that was previously impossible with conventional methods.”
The system completely eliminates the need for horseshoe crab blood. According to the team, the technology is expected to save 100,000 horseshoe crabs from death and avoid live blood extraction from 300,000 crabs annually.
From Laboratory to Industry
The team further addressed a critical blind spot in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. In contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) production lines, traditional offline sampling testing cannot detect contamination in real time. A single contaminated batch released under risk can result in losses of tens of millions of yuan.
To meet industry demands, the team developed a collaborative filtering and noise reduction algorithm that enables lossless signal transmission and safety warnings in high-background-noise environments. This innovation allows the industry to transition from offline sampling to online full inspection.
The PSO system has already completed industrial validation at leading new drug development companies in China.
Commercialization and Market Impact
In April 2026, Wang Qing and his team established a company to accelerate the commercialization of the technology. The startup has already secured preliminary orders and prepayments totaling 4.15 million yuan (approximately $570,000 USD). The system is expected to reduce quality control costs for its clients by 40% annually.
“This technology represents a win-win for both industrial development and ecological protection,” Wang Qing said. “It proves that we do not have to choose between human health and animal welfare.”
The team is now working to expand the technology to international markets and to further reduce the cost of pharmaceutical and medical device testing worldwide.
About Dalian University of Technology
Dalian University of Technology (DUT) is a leading research university in China, renowned for its strengths in mechanical engineering, bioengineering, and interdisciplinary innovation. The PSO endotoxin detection system reflects DUT’s commitment to addressing global challenges through sustainable technology.
Media ContactCompany Name: Dalian Hope Light Technology Co., LtdContact Person: Lei ZhangEmail: Send EmailCountry: ChinaWebsite: https://team.dlut.edu.cn/ASM_Lab/zh_CN/index.htm
