On August7, hosted by the Chinese Society of Biotechnology, co-organized by Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Synthetic Biology Association, and National Industrial Innovation Center for Bio-manufacturing (NIICB),theFourth SynBio Challenges (SynBio Challenges)officially kicked off at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology.

This year’s Competition carefully set up seven tracks, closely focusing on themes such aspublic health and well-being, industrial transformation and upgrading, and green low-carbon development, providing innovative solutions for global sustainable development.Over 200 teams and nearly 1,900 young talentsfrom home and abroad, with the belief of “build-to-learn, build-to-use”, embarked on a competition of wisdom and dreams.

First Day of the Competition

White track focusing on industrial applications

Green track covering agriculture and the environment

And the red track focusing on health and medical care kicked off first

Participants presented on topics in their respective professional fields

Deeply elaborating on experimental details, technical challenges, and application prospects

Facing sharp questions from the judges

They responded fluently

Demonstrating excellent research literacy and adaptability on the spot

Slide left and right

On the stage of the Competition

The “SerotiCraft” team from Hubei University

Showcased the exploratory vitality of young researchers

“Our team members come from different disciplines, breaking disciplinary barriers and deeply integrating big data with bioinformatics.” Team captain Tian Siyi said, “Participating in this competition has been very rewarding, a valuable accumulation on our research journey.” In line with internationalization, this competition used English as one of the competition languages, and Tian Siyi believes this helps students improve their academic level and align with international core journals. In addition, the further enhancement of the competition’s interactivity provided participants with more space for independent expression, earning unanimous recognition from students.

As a team participating for two consecutive years,the captain of the “NUC-China” team from North University of China, Li Xingye, summarized this competition experience with “innovation, composure, breakthrough,”“innovation lies in the application of high-depth models, composure comes from last year’s accumulated experience, and breakthrough is reflected in the team’s overall growth leap.”The passion for the field of synthetic biology drove the team to upgrade their research topics, achieving a leapfrog development at the technical level.

Li Xingye said, “The entire competition process was independently designed and completed by our team, honing our organization and coordination skills. The exchanges with industry experts and other participating teams allowed us to access higher-level knowledge, achieving multidimensional learning and a comprehensive growth experience. ”

Inside and outside the competition venue, a group of nearly 200 high school students from Guangdong, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, and other provinces formed a unique scene.

Zhou Sihao, a sophomore from Shenzhen Bao’an High School, shared observations from a spectator’s perspective, “When I first heard the term synthetic biology, I felt very unfamiliar. But later I found it’s a fascinating field that allows us to transform from observers of life to creators of life. ”

Speaking of gains, Zhou Sihao said that the all-English presentations showed him the professionalism of international academic exchanges, and the collision of diverse thinking and the integration of global perspectives broadened his academic horizons.

Sophomores Ren Yibei and Chen Kexuan from Shenzhen Yucai High School said that the wonderful presentations by participants not only inspired them greatly but also provided further inspiration for their future research projects.

The Competition, with its unique positioning and influence, is becoming an important link connecting global young research forces with the future of industry.Xian-En Zhang, Vice President of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology, Chair of SynBio Challenges, and Dean of the Faculty of Synthetic Biology at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, believes that“the mission of the Innovation Competition is to cultivate talent for synthetic biology in China and globally, sparking students’ creative and team spirit through the competition and building a ‘special channel’ for talent growth.”

Choosing Shenzhen as the competition venue stems from the city’s unique genes—synthetic biology is an emerging interdisciplinary field, and Shenzhen is a hotbed of bold innovation. Since its launch in 2022, the competition’s influence has gradually expanded, with the number of participating teams doubling year after year, attracting teams from countries and regions such as Japan, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Next

Protein design, bacterial games, synthetic cells, etc.

Equally challenging tracks will take turns to compete

Roundtable discussions, major facility experience classes

Youth free debate and other rich activities

Will continue to ignite sparks of wisdom

Looking forward to teams bringing more innovative results

Let the fire of “creation” illuminate a vast future!