On April 16th, I was fortunate enough to visit the State Key Laboratory of the School of Biotechnology at East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST). Vice Dean Wang Qiyao of the school led us into the biological testing platform, where we learned about the functions of large-scale testing and analysis instruments as well as the working principles of biological fermenters. Teachers from the school also specially organized a thematic lecture and exchange meeting on bioengineering. Team members fully communicated with tutors and discussed the contributions of microbial engineering bacteria to the human body together.

     On May 15th, our team held the first brainstorming session on the project topic with the iGEM club of the School of Biotechnology at East China University of Science and Technology. Our team, named Shanghai-Explore, consists of senior high school students from three middle schools, including Shanghai High School International Division and Shanghai Xuhui Middle School. We actively communicated in-depth with the college students of the university club and gained valuable experience in theory and experimental operations.

     On July 30th, the team went to the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences. This on-site visit made the biological knowledge in textbooks become vivid and tangible. In the crop breeding laboratory, the gene-edited rice seedlings displayed by the researchers amazed us — through the precise regulation of disease-resistant genes, the rice plants that were originally susceptible to diseases and insect pests can now grow healthily in the natural environment. This allowed us to intuitively feel the application power of synthetic biology technology in the agricultural field.
     During the exchange session, experts patiently answered our questions about the "research and development of microbial fertilizers" and also shared the experiences of the research team in overcoming the difficulties of saline-alkali land cultivation. When we saw the automated incubators in the laboratory where different bacterial strains multiplied in an orderly manner under precise temperature control, we couldn't help but think of our own iGEM project. We also realized that scientific research not only requires innovative ideas but also rigorous experimental design and repeated verification.
     The most unforgettable part was the hands-on operation session. Under the guidance, we completed a simple soil microorganism isolation experiment. The moment our fingertips touched the pipette, it felt as if we had established a connection with the future of agricultural technology. This visit not only broadened our horizons but also made us understand that the iGEM project should be rooted in actual needs and contribute the youth's strength to agricultural development with biological technology.

    On August 6th, our team collectively watched the live broadcast of the China Synthetic Biology Innovation Competition (SynBio Challenges 2025) online. Our team deeply felt the vigorous vitality of synthetic biology moving from the laboratory to industrial applications. This competition, with the core concept of "Creating for Knowledge, Creating for Application", brought together 265 teams and nearly 1,900 young talents from around the world, demonstrating the infinite possibilities of this field. During the competition, the aquatic environment monitoring biosensing system developed by the team from Zhejiang University was impressive. It combines synthetic biology with intelligent equipment to realize real-time monitoring and treatment of pollutants, providing a new solution for environmental protection. The achievements of the team from Beihang University in the healthcare track and the breakthroughs of Xiamen University in the industrial application field demonstrated the practical help of technology to people's livelihood. As a team, we were inspired by the innovative spirit of young researchers. The concept of "Technology for Good" conveyed by the competition reminds us that science and technology should serve sustainable development. In the future, we will also promote innovation with cross-boundary thinking and contribute to the bio-economy.