Team Members

Teachers Group

Partners in guidance — PI, advisors, and instructors alongside students.

Alison Qin

P.I.

This is my second year serving as the PI of Team SHSD. Compared with last year, each new season has brought me fresh experiences and valuable insights. I truly enjoy working with the students and doing my best to help them achieve each of their goals, no matter how small. In this process, I also feel that I am continually growing myself.

Dr. Amber Brace

Advisor

I'm Dr. Amber Brace, a disease ecologist and biology professor passionate about microbial ecology and environmental resilience. My research explores how anthropogenic changes to the environment, including climate change, affect the way diseases move through communities. When I'm not in the lab or the classroom, I enjoy spending as much time outside as possible, especially in wild places.

Dr. Min Feng

Instructor

I teach at Chongqing Technology and Business University, and being surrounded by young people helps me stay youthful. My life goal is to remain true to myself, and my mission as an educator is to help others discover and become their authentic selves.

Jing Wen

Student Advisor

My name is Jing Wen, and I am a postgraduate student majoring in Food Science and Engineering at Chongqing Technology and Business University. In my daily life, I enjoy interacting with people and have a keen interest in exploring new and interesting things.

Students Group

Leaders and teammates working side by side with teachers — equal footing, shared joy.

Leads

Role in the Team:

Leader, Wet Lab, Dry Lab

Fun fact about myself:

I'm very good at making others laugh.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

Using public transport

Quick Self-Introduction:

I am an optimistic person, so generally I can handle any problem within my social scope. I am also good at managing social relationships in real life. I am a person with a strong sense of responsibility, and whatever I have promised, I will definitely fulfill. At the same time, I do not give up easily, which is a lesson I learned from team sports.

Weiqiang Hong

Role in the Team:

Leader, Wet Lab, Dry Lab

Fun fact about myself:

I had the courage to ask the strict grade director for a proper vacation, since students were required to return to school immediately after the final exam.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I always travel by public transportation and use air conditioning reasonably to help reduce global warming.

Quick Self-Introduction:

In the face of disagreement, I try to respond in a way that others can accept. I acknowledge the reasonable parts of their ideas before sharing my own perspective. For example, during experiment preparation, my cautious partner suggested using small containers. I smiled and pointed out the large bucket and the greater volume of solution we actually needed, and we eventually switched to a larger container in a lighthearted, joking atmosphere.

Tianyou Dong

Role in the Team:

Leader, Wet Lab, Dry Lab

Fun fact about myself:

The total CO2 that I exhale in one day needs the algae reproducing 4.5 kg (wet) to solidify.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

When my father said he needs to purchase a vehicle, I encouraged him to by an electric car, and I've decided not to play with any fireworks during the holidays to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I've also used the air conditioner more carefully and used public transportation whenever possible.

Quick Self-Introduction:

As an insightful thinker, I am always eager to explore new things, question what I learn, and make connections. I integrate ideas across fields from unique perspectives, often offering valuable insights that greatly benefit my team.

Zhengqin Chen

Role in the Team:

Visualization (leader), Dry Lab

Fun fact about myself:

I love photographing flowers and natural landscapes, and I’ve built an album with over 200 different blooms and scenic spots.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I promote the algae project and practice a low-carbon lifestyle to help reduce emissions.

Quick Self-Introduction:

I’m Joy, leading the team’s visual design and dry lab. Though I’m slow to warm up, I quickly connect with teammates. I enjoy coding to turn project content into engaging webpages, documenting flowers and landscapes, and promoting the algae project while living a low-carbon lifestyle.

Jieyu Zhang

Role in the Team:

Wet Lab, Human Practice (leader)

Fun fact about myself:

I am an introverted person, but I become very cheerful when around small animals. Taking care of small animals makes me feel happy.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

When I order takeout, I choose to have the meal served without utensils. In my daily life, I instinctively sort my waste.

Quick Self-Introduction:

My name is Fanny, and I am a 16-year-old high school student. I am a gentle and caring person. Since childhood, I have always wanted to become a veterinarian, which has sparked my strong interest in biology. My family includes several members, along with three adorable and intelligent dogs and cats. In my spare time, I am passionate about reading, especially literary, romance, and detective novels. I am determined to contribute my abilities and shine in the field of biology.

Fan Xu

Role in the Team:

Wet Lab, Human Practice

Fun fact about myself:

My mind is often filled with ideas, ranging from sports and music to philosophical questions. In contrast to these complex thoughts, I find a sense of calm in the lab. The work may seem repetitive, but it feels meaningful, offering me a way to connect with the natural world and biology at a fundamental level.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I take action in three ways. Personally, I pursue a low-carbon lifestyle by using biodegradable products and choosing green transportation. Professionally, our iGEM team has addressed this issue by engineering algae. Beyond that, I actively advocate for sustainability by organizing eco-friendly activities with friends, inspiring collective action in everything from dining to entertainment.

Quick Self-Introduction:

I see myself as a rational problem-solver, drawn to challenges that call for a systematic and analytical approach. That’s why I’ve been deeply involved in the iGEM project, which gave me hands-on experience with the engineering design cycle through both wet lab work and the engineering success group. Even when our PCR results failed repeatedly, I treated it as an opportunity for troubleshooting, analyzing causes, testing solutions, and applying logical thinking. Guided by our teachers and inspired by collaboration with my peers, I’ve come to value this mindset not just as an idea, but as a personal conviction to carry into future challenges.

Chenyu Lin

Role in the Team:

Visualization, Dry Lab

Fun fact about myself:

I can spend a whole day drawing in my studio and then go for a 2-hour tennis training.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I will try to reduce the use of disposable plastic products, such as using reusable water cups and shopping bags.

Quick Self-Introduction:

Hi, I'm Jaelyn. I'm in charge of visual design and dry-lab work in the team. I enjoy trying new things and also care about environmental protection.

Jiayi Xia

Role in the Team:

Wet Lab, Visualization

Fun fact about myself:

Everyone who knows me thinks I'm an extroverted person, but actually, I'm introverted.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I’ve developed the habit of turning off lights to save electricity, choosing low-carbon transportation, and I also try to avoid using disposable plastic products.

Quick Self-Introduction:

I am an easygoing and optimistic person with a cheerful demeanor and a sense of humor. My passion for biology stems from a deep reverence and love for life itself. Life is a miracle in its own right. Reading, writing, and deep reflection enrich life from a subjective perspective, while exploration, travel, and learning broaden its horizons in an objective sense. Biology, however, offers the most direct path to understanding life. Although I am still in the early stages of my journey, I am constantly amazed by the ingenuity and grandeur of life revealed even through my limited knowledge, and this inspires me to delve deeper.

Yuemeng Ma

Role in the Team:

Visualization, Dry Lab

Fun fact about myself:

I love listening to nature sounds, like bird chirps or rain, while working on design tasks; it helps me stay focused and get inspired.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I've been trying to live a low-carbon life.I walk or bike to school instead of taking cars, and I always carry a reusable water bottle to cut down plastic waste.

Quick Self-Introduction:

Hi, I’m Angel, a Grade 12 student on the iGEM team. My work has focused on visual design, helping with dry lab tasks, designing our team’s webpage, collecting and organizing project materials, and creating the voiceover for our promotional video. Now that the project is nearly complete, I’m truly grateful for the time I’ve spent working alongside every teammate.

Tianyu Yang

Role in the Team:

Visualization, Human Practice

Fun fact about myself:

When I was in primary school, I folded an entire box of paper cranes out of old newspapers. Later, I discovered that my mother had used them all to line the flower pots.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I plan to participate in a project on engineered microbes that can efficiently break down plastic waste for low-energy recycling.

Quick Self-Introduction:

I am a biology enthusiast on the iGEM team with a strong interest in microbial solutions. I enjoy integrating experiments with sustainable development, and my “microbial pet” has allowed me to pursue my passion for biotechnology.

Zhanglin Li

Role in the Team:

Human Practice

Fun fact about myself:

I like memorizing English words by using special homophones.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I always choose public transportation, co-biking, or walking to get to my destination. When ordering food delivery, I make sure to select “no tableware”.

Quick Self-Introduction:

My name is Xingzhang He, and I’m from Inner Mongolia, a place of beautiful grasslands and pastoral landscapes with significant industrial development during the past few decades. This made global warming a very personal issue for me. As part of the Human Practice Group, I learned about people’s perspectives on climate change and worked to promote the potential of genetically modified Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in addressing this challenge.

Xingzhang He

Role in the Team:

Human Practice

Fun fact about myself:

I’m an outgoing person who always greets my friends with a smile and brings them joy. I’m also skilled at building and maintaining strong relationships.

My Action to Mitigate Global Warming:

I practice low-carbon living by prioritizing walking, cycling, or using public transportation. I also reduce the use of disposable items and actively sort waste and recycle resources.

Quick Self-Introduction:

My name is Leo, and I’m passionate about diving. I love exploring ocean life and care deeply about how it has been affected by global warming. That’s why I joined the Human Practices Group, where I work to raise awareness about the role of genetically modified Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in addressing climate change.

Lihao Zhu