The Synthetic Biology Innovation Competition (SynBio Challenges) is an international competition hosted by the Synthetic Biology Branch of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology. It aims to cultivate the original innovation ability of young students through three major challenges: "Knowledge Accumulation, Problem Analysis, and Excellence," providing students with a platform for face-to-face exchange and learning with leading scholars in the field of synthetic biology and for showcasing their own innovative power. Since its inception, the number of participating teams in the Innovation Competition has almost doubled every year, and the influence of the event has expanded rapidly.
On August 8, 2024, the 3rd Synthetic Biology Innovation Competition, hosted by the Synthetic Biology Branch of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology and jointly organized by the College of Synthetic Biology at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, the Institute of Synthetic Biology at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (CAS), the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, the Shenzhen Synthetic Biology Association, and the Shenzhen Engineering Biology Industry Innovation Center, was held at the Guangming Cloud Valley International Conference Center in Shenzhen. The competition attracted 147 teams from more than 60 universities at home and abroad, with over 450 students participating on site.
ABB sent three participating teams, which gave presentations focusing on the mining and characterization of synthetic biology elements, synthetic functional sterols, and the construction of squalene microalgae chassis cell factories, respectively.
Undergraduate student Li Guoguo (Guided by graduate student: Zheng Haifeng) reporting in the Red (Medical) Track sub-venue.
Graduate student Cui Xinyu reporting in the White (Industrial) Track sub-venue.
Undergraduate student Zeng Zixi (Guided by graduate student: Yu Xinjun) reporting in the White (Industrial) Track sub-venue.
At the competition site, the students were high-spirited, demonstrating excellent scientific literacy and rigorous thinking ability. Through their wonderful defenses, they won high praise and heated discussions from the experts present. After fierce competition, the three ABB teams finally won a Gold Medal in the Regular Competition Red (Medical) Track and two Silver Medals in the Regular Competition White (Industrial) Track, achieving excellent results.