AI-powered in silico platform identifies natural compound with promising applications in the medical and biotechnology industries

Natural compound amentoflavone shown to increase muscle mass and strength in animal studies

Published in the prestigious international journal Phytomedicine and featured in HBR (Hanbitsa), drawing attention from both academia and industry

YU Cell Culture Research Institute strengthens global research competitiveness while expanding research and technology support for Gyeongbuk’s Uiseong bioindustry

[June 25, 2026]

<YU Department of Biotechnology and Cell Culture Research Institute research team (from left: Research Professor Syed Sayeed Ahmad, Professor CHOI In-ho, and Research Professor LIM Jeong-ho)>

A research team at Yeungnam University (YU), led by President CHOI Oe-chool, has attracted attention from both academia and industry by identifying a natural compound using artificial intelligence (AI) and demonstrating its potential as a treatment for sarcopenia. The findings were published in the internationally renowned journal Phytomedicine (Impact Factor: 11.3), specializing in natural-product and complementary medicine, and were also featured in Hanbitsa (People Who Brightened Korea), highlighting both the academic and industrial significance of the study.

 The study was co-first-authored by Research Professor LIM Jeong-ho of the YU Cell Culture Research Institute and Research Professor Syed Sayeed Ahmad of the Department of Biotechnology, with Professor CHOI In-ho of the Department of Biotechnology serving as the corresponding author.

 The research team conducted the study with the goal of establishing a research and development platform that utilizes in silico technologies—computer simulation-based virtual experimentation—and AI to discover highly commercializable natural compounds from Korea's natural resources and apply them to the medical and biotechnology industries.

 The researchers explained, "We selected myostatin, a key negative regulator of muscle growth, as our therapeutic target. Through AI-assisted in silico analysis, we identified amentoflavone, a natural compound found in Ginkgo biloba and Selaginella tamariscina, both of which are widely known in Korea." They added, "Using muscle stem cell experiments, we elucidated the compound's muscle-forming effects and its underlying mechanism of action. In animal experiments using a mouse model of muscle atrophy, we confirmed that the compound significantly increased muscle mass, enhanced muscle strength, and improved physical performance."

 Professor CHOI In-ho, Director of the YU Cell Culture Research Institute, said, "As populations continue to age rapidly, sarcopenia and other muscle-loss disorders have become major social and medical challenges both in Korea and around the world. However, effective treatment options remain extremely limited." He added, "The natural compound identified through this study has strong potential not only for the development of natural-product-based therapeutics but also as an ingredient for functional health foods." He continued, "By integrating AI with conventional in silico technologies, we have established a new research platform that is expected to introduce a new paradigm for natural-product research and commercialization while driving significant advances in the field."

 After earning his doctoral degree from YU in 2022, Research Professor LIM Jeong-ho joined the YU Cell Culture Research Institute and has been conducting research at its Uiseong Branch since 2024. He currently serves as a key researcher in several regional bioindustry initiatives, including the K-U City Project, part of the Anchor Project (formerly the RISE Project) supported by the Ministry of Education and Gyeongsangbuk-do, as well as the In Silico Commercialization Infrastructure Development Project supported by Uiseong County, contributing to research and educational programs aimed at fostering the regional bioindustry. Meanwhile, Research Professor Ahmad, an expert in in silico technologies and AI, has been serving as an international research faculty member in YU's Department of Biotechnology since 2019 and has collaborated closely with Professor CHOI's research group. He has published more than 60 papers in international journals and continues to conduct active research in AI- and in silico-based natural-product discovery.

Beyond its academic significance, the study also demonstrates that the YU Cell Culture Research Institute's Uiseong Branch has established the research capacity and infrastructure needed to continuously produce internationally competitive research outcomes.By integrating in silico and AI technologies into its existing cell culture-based research platform, the Institute has presented new possibilities for building an innovative bio-research and industrial ecosystem.

 Meanwhile, in 2023, YU established and began operating a regional branch of its research institute at the Gyeongbuk Cell Culture Industry Support Center in the Uiseong Bio Valley General Industrial Complex, one of the few university research institutes in Korea to establish a regional branch of this kind. The YU Cell Culture Research Institute plans to further expand research and technology support for regional biotechnology companies while strengthening collaboration to foster the bioindustry.