Team leaders driving innovation and collaboration
Hi everyone, I'm Kevin. Friends often say I'm energetic, and that's because I always have a strong interest in all sorts of things in life—especially when it comes to studying biology. The intricate mechanisms within organisms never fail to amaze me, and they drive me to dig deeper into how they work. As the team captain, my biggest gain has been gradually learning to shift from focusing on my own curiosity to understanding the team's rhythm. It’s about getting the wet team and dry team to coordinate and align. Now, when I think about the "synergistic effect" in biology, I feel like I understand it better. It’s like how enzymes and substrates in a cell each perform their role while cooperating with each other—within a team, everyone’s passion and expertise also need proper coordination mechanisms to maximize their impact.
Hi everyone, I'm Zhou Xinyue. I'm currently in 12th grade in New York. In my free time, I enjoy listening to music and working on small programming projects. I have a passion for biology, especially synthetic biology and its potential to contribute to environmental and health initiatives. On the team, I mainly handle coordination work between the dry lab and wet lab. I hope our team's achievements can transition from the data and models in the lab to real, practical solutions that enter people's daily lives—after all, benefiting more people is the true meaning of our project.
In the initial phase of our project, I focused on acquiring and organizing foundational knowledge about our research topic, with special emphasis on the mechanism of plant cuticular wax synthesis. During subsequent wet lab work, I actively learned and performed core experimental techniques, mastering essential methods like centrifugation, PCR, and gel electrophoresis through hands-on practice. As the Wet Lab Team Leader, I dedicated substantial time to laboratory research while also participating in dry team initiatives. I engaged in supermarket surveys, public interviews, and science communication activities for our project. This experience gave me deeper insights into societal perspectives on our research and profoundly strengthened my understanding of plant waxes' significance to society and the world.
Hi! My name is Circle Yao and I am part of both the wet and dry teams. I am the leader of the dry team, now running our rednote account, and a team member in the wet team doing all the experiments. I also participated in the voice overing of our video, in the role of the seedling. I've learned to love biology since I was quite young, and am looking forward to communicate about these topics!
Laboratory specialists bringing ideas to life
Alevel student subjects: Biology Chemistry Physics Mathematics Future major: finance Proficient in theoretical knowledge ,“illiterate” in experimental operations. Hobby : humming in the lab. Although I am not very familiar with the experimental apparatus, I have the will to provide emotional supports for my teammates. I think practical knowledge is more interesting than the theories I learn from textbooks during experiments. Maybe I will give up apply for finance and engage in biology ( not seriously).
In this iGEM competition, I chose the wet team, working with my partners to conduct various experiments every day, which has broadened my horizons and inspired me to learn more about the mysteries of synthetic biology, such as DNA editing and RNA extraction. Besides, although I have a deep interest in experiments, I also participated in the social practice activities of the dry team. During the process, I went to a bookstore with two other partners to give a lesson on synthetic biology to primary school students. Not only did this experience enhance my communication skills, but it also helped me understand how much the public know about plant wax.
Hi everyone, I'm Tong Yanbo. A natural optimist and ENFP through and through — I always think the sky is blue and problems always have solutions. I love connecting with people quickly, which my friends call my "social butterfly" vibe. In my free time, I balance activity and calm: the piano holds my little world, street dance lets me let loose to the beat, and nothing beats the thrill of scoring with teammates on the basketball court. As a member of the iGEM wet lab team, the days spent with teammates breaking down problems and brainstorming ideas have been incredibly rewarding — it aligns perfectly with my passion for materials engineering. I want to dive deep into this field where tiny, microscopic changes can make a big difference in the world. Hoping to channel this passion into contributing to new materials research; even a small step would mean the world.
Hi everyone, I’m Erykah from the eWAX team, a high school student fascinated by synthetic biology. On the team, I’m a lab member on the wet team, working with pipettes and centrifuges daily. I tweak the ratios of extraction reagents repeatedly to turn leaf samples into stable wax content data. The biosafety cabinet is where I spend most of my time—sterilizing, sampling, pipetting. To get reliable results, I often run 3 extra sets of parallel samples, just to be sure. During the iGEM preparation, I’ve gradually grasped the essence of engineering thinking—and this habit of nailing down details and controlling variables might just help me understand the discipline of bioengineering. Of course, what matters most is hoping our experiments can actually make a difference—like extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, or reducing farmers’ losses. That’s way more real than empty talk.
Hello everyone, I am Erica from the wet team of iGEM. In this competition, my main task was to complete the primary experiments, such as extracting RNA, transforming yeast cells, observing and recording the interactions between related proteins, etc. At the same time, in some experiments, I collaborated with my classmates, such as injecting tobacco. Through participating in the iGEM activities, I also made many good friends who, like me, want to study biomedical science in the future. I believe that with everyone's joint efforts, our eWAX team can achieve excellent results.
Hello everyone. As a member of the iGEM team, I’ve always had a strong passion for synthetic biology, and in this project, I’m primarily responsible for wet lab work. What fascinates me most about synthetic biology is its problem-solving power—it uses technologies like precision gene editing and microbial regulation to address real-world challenges in tangible ways. Being deeply involved in this project has been an invaluable experience: refining my operational precision through repeatedly fine-tuning gene cloning procedures, and building stronger scientific research mindset and teamwork awareness by collaborating with dry lab teammates to deconstruct problems interdisciplinaryly when experiments didn’t go as expected. I’m especially looking forward to connecting with iGEMers worldwide—whether sharing lab tips or brainstorming new project ideas. Progress in synthetic biology thrives on open-source sharing, and I hope to join hands with all of you to contribute to collaboration and innovation in the scientific community.
Hello, my name is Eric. I’m a sunny boy and I love to make a lot of friends because I think more friends will have more ways to walk further and when you have difficulties, you will have more power from your friends to overcome and pass through the difficulties. In the school, I like Biology and Chemistry very much. I like doing experiment to find the truth behind the phenomenon. By chance, one day, I noticed that there is a competition called iGem which specialized in experiments and making our own products to change the world. Then, I joined in. I think I’m good at operating the experimental apparatus, making perfect outcomes which are practical and realistic to the phenomenon we found. I also have strong logic understandings and thoughts. I can catch teachers ideas very quickly and change some of difficult steps into easier ones to reach the same outcome and this can make the total work to be lessened. Finally, I’m also good at calculating. I can calculate some of the experiment data very fast or the data for the materials we need to do the experiments. This gives a lot of convenience to my group members.
I am deeply passionate about biology and chemistry, particularly in conducting experiments to apply theoretical knowledge in laboratory settings. I have hands-on lab experience, such as fabricating lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) batteries. To further develop my lab expertise, I plan to engage in high-impact to reduce post-harvest losses. My research interest lies in plant wax biosynthesis, which is one of the most critical factors influencing pest resistance and stress tolerance in crops. By modifying wax synthesis pathways to upregulate related genes, it is possible to significantly extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, thereby reducing post-harvest losses in agricultural products. Leveraging interdisciplinary skills, I have mastered laboratory techniques including DNA and RNA extraction and centrifugation operations. Through teamwork in wet-lab, I have enhanced my collaborative and communication abilities.
Hi, I’m Liu Xiaoyu from Shenzhen, a 12th grader focusing on Chemistry and Biology. I joined the iGEM team to dive deeper into synthetic biology—something I’m really eager to explore. As a wet lab member, safety comes first for me. I stick to lab protocols, and I’ve found I have a knack for spotting chemical risks and hazards. Beyond that, I’m handy with tools like pipettes, and I make sure every step is precise—all to get solid, reliable data for the team. Visiting local plantations was eye-opening, too. I learned about their big challenges: drought, pest control, and how wax might help tackle them. I also saw the difference between using pesticides and biological methods, plus how wax affects plants’ look and whether they sell well. It’s cool to connect what we do in the lab to real-world needs!
Hi , I'm Ouyang Han, a 11th grader. I have a bit of a flexible personality: sometimes I can chat lively with everyone, and other times I prefer to stay quietly on my own—it all depends on how I'm feeling at the time. In the lab, I mainly pitch in and work as part of the team. When the teacher asks to prepare test tubes or adjust equipment, I react quickly and get things done accurately as instructed. If a classmate is puzzling over how to operate an instrument, I’ll lean over to look at the instructions and try steps together; if we figure it out, we jump in and do it together. Working on experiments with everyone these days, I’ve come to realize how important it is for the team to cover for each other. Turns out, collaboration isn’t just about each person doing their own thing—it’s more about keeping an eye on the details for one another and reminding each other to fix gaps. This kind of teamwork has made the experiments go much smoother, and it’s gradually teaching me how to work with others to get things done well.
Hi, I’m Di Yuqi, a 12th-grade high school student. My hometown is Beijing, and I’m currently studying biology, chemistry, and economics. I joined the wet lab of the iGEM team because I want to explore synthetic biology more deeply, while honing my research capabilities through the competition and connecting with more outstanding peers. During the experiments, my contributions have yielded valid data and results for the team’s progress, significantly improving the high yield rate of plasmids. In terms of social practice, I actively assisted the dry team with market research, participated in farm visits, and documented issues. Through these efforts, I gained insights into the relationship between people’s perceptions of plants’ and fruits’ appearance and their purchase rates, as well as how plant wax esters defend and protect against the external environment. This experience has been an expansion of my horizons and an accumulation of knowledge. Our research achievements are not only reflected in the experimental processes and academic reports, but their value can also benefit the industrial chain and people’s livelihoods.
Hello, everyone! I'm Deng Kehan from eWAX Wet Team, from Beijing. My mbti is INFJ. I am studying Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Advanced Mathematics in the A-Level system. Currently, I am a British student and I am preparing to apply for the Biomedical program at university. I was mainly responsible for the experimental part in the team, such as extracting DNA and RNA, and participated in the design and production of the wiki website. I hope the plant waxes we study can offer assistance to life and make contributions to society. Looking forward to all of us achieving success together!
I’m Trevor and I’m a student from WHBC and I chose chemistry and biology as my main subject because I want to take majors that are related to those subjects. During my study career, I take every task very seriously and pay attention on every sentence the teacher said so I won’t miss a single word. As for my personal life. I’m a quite sporty person and I have taken up a variety of different sports such as badminton,swimming and billiards as well. When it comes to my music preferences, my favorite singer is Michael Jackson, I love other k-pop singers and bands such as BLACKPINK and G-Dragon. I hope I can make a big progress on this igem competition.
Hello everyone, I'm Lin Haoyu from the iGEM team, currently in 11th grade. Since I was little, I've really loved biology. Whether it's the structure of DNA's double helix or CRISPR gene-editing technology, these discoveries and technologies have always seemed fascinating to me, and they've kept pushing me to learn more. On the team, my main role is to organize useful literature, sort through experimental data, and clarify previous research findings—making it easier for us to reference past work as we move forward. For me, it's not overly complicated; I just want to lay a solid foundation and help keep the team's ideas flowing smoothly. Looking ahead, I hope to learn and do more in the field of biology. I want to work with the team to turn our ideas into action, and hopefully contribute a little to the development of life sciences.
My name is Zhu Jiaxiang, a student passionate about synthetic biology. On the iGEM team, I’m primarily responsible for conducting wet experiments. I excel in hands-on practice and have a strong interest in the field of synthetic biology. iGEM has been an extraordinary journey. It made me deeply realize that interdisciplinary collaboration can turn bold ideas into reality. This experience has greatly enhanced my research capabilities, helped me make like-minded friends, and improved my ability to collaborate with peers.
Computational experts modeling and analyzing data
As a member of the iGEM dry team, I was fully engaged in the project: I mapped stakeholder relationships, sorted out demands of governments, research institutions and the public, and built a clear collaboration framework for implementation; joined multiple field researches, visiting planting bases, labs and enterprises, with first-hand data supporting scheme optimization; participated in WeChat official account operations—from topic selection and writing to layout—effectively conveying the project’s scientific and social value; and contributed to promotional videos (scriptwriting, shooting, editing), making synthetic biology more accessible via visual storytelling. These cross-disciplinary practices deepened my understanding of scientific research’s social nature, built experience in team collaboration, resource integration and science popularization, and strengthened my perception of “science serving society.”
I am Lin Yuktsun, a member of the eWAX dry team. I am responsible for leading team interviews, writing business plans, and financial planning. With solid computing and analytical skills, I am passionate about and continue to delve into the fields of business planning and finance. I will do my best to contribute solid strength to the success of eWAX.
Hi everyone, I'm Zhang Yuzhe. As a student with a deep passion for life sciences, the innovation and endless possibilities of synthetic biology have always driven me to explore further. In our iGEM team, I serve as a dry team member, focusing primarily on business planning. This role has let me closely link research projects with real-world applications — from analyzing the project’s market potential and developing business models to crafting promotion strategies, I’ve strived to build a bridge for our synthetic biology research to move from the lab to practical use. Going forward, I’ll keep carrying this passion for life sciences and curiosity to explore business logic, contributing more practical ideas and solutions to the team.
I’m Li Siying, a member of the iGEM dry team. I’ve always loved using words to record the small, everyday feelings in life. Through polishing words over and over, I’ve gradually developed the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, and I’ve grown used to using imagination to bridge gaps in logic. As a dry team member, my main responsibilities are writing project documents and coordinating visual presentations. I translate the team’s research ideas and experimental progress into accessible language, document our daily work, and organize scattered ideas into something more coherent. I also turn the market data analyzed by the dry team and the experimental procedures from the wet team into intuitive infographics or flowcharts. It’s about turning the professional into something understandable, the abstract into something concrete. Finding my unique place in the team, and making sure every idea is better seen.
Hi everyone, I’m Zhan Junyi, a first-year high school student—you can call me Jeffery. I love building models: starting with taking apart hundreds of parts according to the blueprint, then fitting and securing them step by step logically, until the complete finished piece takes shape in my hands. This process has honed my patience and taught me to break down complex tasks into smaller steps to move forward. These hobbies have helped me find my rhythm on the iGEM team. I mainly handle data model construction and coordinate the wiki page. For example, when the wet team sends over experimental data on wax content, I approach it like organizing model parts: first breaking down variables, sorting out the relationships between data points, then using code to build visual models—making the impact of light and humidity on wax accumulation intuitive. Building the wiki is more like "assembling the framework" for the entire project. I work with teammates to sort out experimental progress, organize literature, and weave scattered content into clear pages logically—so everyone can grasp our ideas at a glance.
Hello everyone, I'm Zhang Zixuan. I have a strong interest in both business and biology. As a dry team member, I mainly focus on the business planning work. Specifically, it means bridging the gap between laboratory research and market implementation: analyzing which industry pain points our achievements can address, while sorting out business plans and mapping out potential application scenarios. Connecting the wet team's experimental results with the "practical value" at the business level has been a particularly enlightening process. Combining the rigor of biology with the pragmatism of business is exactly what makes this project feel most vibrant to me.
Hello everyone, my name is Daniel Du and I am currently in the 11th grade at American High School. I usually enjoy food, photography, and also have my own interest in clothing. This summer I went to Gyangze, Xizang, to investigate the local traditional handicrafts and culture. I am currently also involved in brand promotion work in New York. It's amazing to join the iGEM activity.
Greetings, everyone. My name is Sylvia, hailing from Hong Kong. Presently, I am a 12th-grade student enrolled at Hong Kong American International School. Social studies constitutes my primary research focus. Engaging in diverse social initiatives has enabled me to forge numerous friendships—some with individuals older than myself—yet our communication remains unimpeded, as we all endeavor to contribute to the construction of a more equitable society. Beyond this competition. French serves as my second foreign language. Bonjour à tous!
Hello everyone. My name is David, originally from Hong Kong, and now a 9th-grader at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in the US. Photography is my greatest passion—I’ve traveled to places like Turkey (capturing sunrise hot air balloons over Cappadocia) and China’s Sichuan-Tibet Line (documenting mountainscapes and local culture) to snap compelling shots. This hobby taught me to observe details closely and frame complex scenes clearly, skills that’ve been a big help in my scientific explorations. What excites me most now is my work with an iGEM dry team. Turning my interest in life’s building blocks into hands-on team collaboration has been awesome, and I’m eager to keep learning with the team.
