Guided by the iGEM spirit of open collaboration, we actively engaged with teams and experts throughout the competition. Beyond presenting our triple-composite biologic suture at CCiC 2025 in Beijing, we held ongoing exchanges with numerous teams including BSDFZ-CHINA, Tsinghua, and Tongji. Together, we discussed technical design, experimental challenges, and project optimization—mutually strengthening both our work and the synthetic biology community.

In addition to academic exchange, we connected with industry specialists such as Mr. Cao Keran and Mr. He Jinjian, who provided valuable commercial insights including SWOT analysis, scaling strategies, and market positioning. These discussions opened new pathways for real-world application.

We firmly believe that collaboration is what makes iGEM unique. Through each conversation and every shared idea, we are not only improving our project—we are helping to build a global network of innovators working toward a better future with synthetic biology.

From August 6th to 8th, 2025, we participated in the China iGEM Community Conference (CCiC) held at the Zhongguancun National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone Exhibition and Transaction Center (Zhongguancun Exhibition Center Conference Hall) in Beijing. As an annual gathering for iGEMers in China, CCiC has been a vital platform for over a decade, igniting the sparks of innovation among young minds and fostering in-depth discussions on project development. During the conference, we presented our research project: a triple-composite biological suture—leveraging synthetic biology to revolutionize surgical suturing with enhanced strength, antibacterial properties, and anti-inflammatory effects.

Figure 1. Team Squirrel-Beijing at the CCiC-Synbiopunk 2025 Conference.Top left: Team members at the conference venue, standing before the official CCiC background wall with the Squirrel-Beijing team flag. Top right: Team representative delivering an oral presentation introducing our project ReGenStitch, a triple-composite bioactive suture designed to enhance surgical outcomes through synthetic biology. Bottom left: Close-up of the oral presentation session. Bottom right: Team members presenting and discussing their project poster with other participants during the poster session.

We engaged in productive exchanges with iGEM teams from Tongji University, Tsinghua University, and other institutions, discussing technical approaches and exploring ways to advance practical collaboration. These discussions culminated in agreements for future cooperative efforts, reinforcing our commitment to driving innovation through shared knowledge and resources. The conference not only provided an opportunity to showcase our work but also allowed us to draw inspiration from other cutting-edge projects, further solidifying our resolve to contribute to the synthetic biology community.

Figure 2. Team Squirrel-Beijing engaging in poster discussions with various university iGEM teams, sharing ideas and exchanging insights during the CCiC 2025 conference.

Communicate with business investors

Following our project presentation at the CCiC conference, we had the valuable opportunity to engage in commercial discussions with Mr. Cao Keran, R&D Engineer from Shaoxing Meikele, and Mr. He Jinjian, founder of a leading synthetic biology website, both of whom expressed strong interest in our research.

Figure 3. Team Squirrel-Beijing engaging in post-presentation discussions with industry experts during the CCiC 2025 conference.

Our in-depth collaboration covered key aspects of commercial development including product design, consumer positioning, production feasibility, pricing strategy, and market distribution. Both experts provided insightful recommendations aimed at enhancing the real-world applicability and commercial potential of our project.

Among their valuable suggestions was conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis to systematically evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of our product. They also emphasized the importance of identifying a clear target consumer group and developing a differentiated value proposition. Additionally, they recommended exploring scalable production methods to lower costs while maintaining quality, as well as proposing potential partnerships with industrial stakeholders for pilot testing and future commercialization.

This exchange not only provided us with practical perspectives from the industry but also opened avenues for potential collaboration in moving our project from the lab to the market.

We engaged in a productive collaboration with BSDFZ-CHINA, which included a series of in-depth discussions on experimental design. Our teams worked closely on key areas such as synthetic biology gene circuit design and metabolic pathway optimization. Throughout the process, we shared updates on our respective experimental progress and openly addressed challenges encountered in the laboratory. These exchanges not only helped refine our project approach but also reinforced the collaborative ethos central to iGEM.

Figure 4. Team Squirrel-Beijing and BSDFZ-CHINA during a collaboration meeting, with both team leaders exchanging souvenirs to mark their partnership.