Overview
Research has never been an isolated effort. iGEM places great importance on recognition, communication, and feedback with other teams and the public, acting as a catalyst for the interaction between science and society. We value external communication highly, aiming to discover more possibilities for our project and its future implementation through collaboration and exchange.
Driven by our passion to learn more about synthetic biology and innovative clinical therapies, we participated in numerous face-to-face meetings and collaborated with a variety of iGEM teams from different fields. We not only sought details of wet lab and dry lab experiments to improve our project but also established agreements on promoting human practices and education to raise awareness of synthetic biology and diseases.
In addition, we are committed to fostering continuity and mentorship within the iGEM community, a fundamental aspect of our approach. As third-time iGEM participants, we had relatively few experienced mentors on campus. Therefore, we actively engaged in communication and discussions with previous SYPHU-China iGEM teams, who generously shared their knowledge and expertise, guiding us in experimental techniques and offering valuable insights for project design and complex challenges.
Our Core Commitments
| Aspect | Our Actions |
|---|---|
| Collaboration | Engaging with multiple iGEM teams across disciplines and regions |
| Knowledge Sharing | Learning from previous SYPHU-China teams and passing insights to new iGEMers |
| Self-Reflection | Conducting evaluations to align team spirit with project goals |
Here, we proudly present our team’s steadfast commitment to fostering collaboration and communication within the iGEM community.
Northeast iGEM Regional Exchange (Xinmin Sub-venue)
Conference Overview
On May 11th, the 2025 Northeast iGEM Regional Exchange Conference was successfully held at Jilin University’s Xinmin Campus (Room 409). The event gathered iGEM teams from universities and high schools, fostering discussions on food safety, environmental protection, and medical research. It provided an invaluable platform for experience-sharing and highlighting the role of synthetic biology in tackling global challenges.
Team Presentation
Our wet-lab leader Yang Xiaoling presented our project on stage, outlining the concept of lactate chemotaxis and in-situ ATRA synthesis for liver cancer therapy. The talk received strong engagement and initiated meaningful discussions.
Figure: Wet-lab leader Yang Xiaoling presenting our project at the regional exchange.
Roundtable Discussions
We joined roundtable discussions on decentralization in iGEM and biosafety issues in lab management. These conversations helped us reflect on governance structures and inspired improvements for our team’s safety protocols.
Figure: Panoramic views from our roundtable on decentralization and lab safety.
Roundtable Close-ups
Closer shots captured our team actively exchanging perspectives with peers. These dialogues helped us sharpen our project design and safety frameworks.
Figure: Close-ups of our roundtable participation.
Team Highlights
Beyond the formal sessions, the event gave us chances to bond with other teams. We joined group photos and tea-break chats, reflecting the warm and collaborative atmosphere of the iGEM community.
Figure: Group photo (top-left) and snapshots from tea breaks (others).
Interview with Dr. Qin (Shengjing Hospital)
Dr. Qin explained that liver cancer often affects individuals aged 40–60, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:1. He stressed the importance of earlier detection and highlighted treatment costs as a major concern for patients. He found our ATRA-based approach highly innovative given the lack of similar therapies.
Figure: Interview with Dr. Qin at Shengjing Hospital.
Interview with Dr. Li (CMU 1st Hospital)
Dr. Li emphasized the psychological burden of liver cancer and suggested focusing on resistance issues in therapy. He highlighted bi-specific antibodies / ADCs as promising directions and acknowledged the potential of our project if safety could be ensured.
Figure: Interview with Dr. Li at CMU First Hospital.
12th CCiC Conference
Opening Lecture & Frontier Insights
At the plenary session, a mentor from Tianjin University gave a comprehensive talk on synthetic biology industrialization, compliance, and quality control. The lecture emphasized building a verifiable, reproducible, and scalable evidence chain, which later inspired our Human Practices framework.
Figure: Plenary talk by Tianjin University mentor on standards, scale-up, and translational pathways.
Flash Talk: Our 5-Minute Pitch
During the flash talk, our wet-lab leader Yang Xiaoling delivered a five-minute pitch, highlighting our approach of lactate chemotaxis + ATRA in-situ therapy. The presentation drew attention from judges and fellow teams alike.
Figure: Close-up (left) and wide view (right) of our 5-minute flash presentation by wet-lab leader Yang Xiaoling.
Poster Session: Sponsor Dialogue & Storytelling
At the poster session, we presented our workflow to sponsors and partners, from modeling and plasmid design to validation. We emphasized the dual narrative of cost-accessibility and clinical relevance.
Figure: Discussion with sponsors (left) and close-up of our poster (right).
Community & Scale
This year’s CCiC reached a record scale, involving universities, hospitals, and industry teams. We took a group photo at the backdrop and participated in the all-team photo, witnessing the growing vitality of the Chinese iGEM community.
Figure: Our team photo (left) and the largest-ever CCiC all-team photo (right).
Team Moments
Another group photo captured our team’s spirit at a key milestone: focused, open-minded, and supportive of one another.
Figure: Another team photo in front of the CCiC backdrop.
Peer-to-Peer Exchange
At the poster area, we actively learned from other teams’ designs and simultaneously shared our own strategies of lactate chemotaxis and ATRA delivery. This two-way communication helped surface issues faster and iterate solutions more effectively.
Figure: Listening to peer projects (left) and presenting our work (right).
Popular Science Handbook
In collaboration with Jilin University, we co-authored and designed a handbook to introduce synthetic biology to the public in an accessible way.
Figure: Popular Science Handbook (cover and inside).
Collaboration with OUC-Haide
We exchanged a plasmid and an E. coli Nissle 1917 strain, shared designs and goals, and fostered long-term friendship and inspiration.
