The 2025 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM) recently concluded successfully in Paris, France. Congratulations to the SUIS Cross-Campus iGEM Team for its remarkable debut! Competing for the very first time, the team showcased outstanding scientific capability and overall excellence, earning both a Global Gold Medal and the “Best Entrepreneurship” Award, bringing glory to Xiehe on the international stage.
What is iGEM?
The International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM) is one of the world’s largest and most influential synthetic biology competitions, founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2003. Open to high school, undergrad, and overgrad teams, iGEM encourages interdisciplinary collaboration to apply synthetic biology in solving real-world challenges.
Each team is typically divided into Wet Lab and Dry Lab groups: the Wet Lab focuses on experiment design, optimization, and analysis, while the Dry Lab undertakes social research, expert interviews, outreach, business planning, and science communication.
The 2025 iGEM competition brought together over 5,000 participants across 400+ teams worldwide, including more than 140 high school teams.
The 2025 SUIS iGEM Team
Ten student members from four SUIS high schools joined together to form the first-ever SUIS cross-campus iGEM team organized by the Xiehe Education Center, collaborating with peers from Pinghe Bilingual School to establish the SUIS-PINGHE Joint Team.
From the beginning, the team faced tight schedules, demanding workloads, and the challenge of working across different campuses. Over nearly a year, they embarked on an intensive and systematic “scientific marathon.”
Research on the Application of Mussel Adhesive Proteins in Antibacterial Coatings for Medical Devices
- Building Foundations: Studied synthetic biology systematically in their spare time, staying abreast of cutting-edge developments.
- Focusing on the Topic: Held multiple online brainstorming sessions to identify a research direction that balances scientific innovation with social value.
- Summer Intensive Training: Conducted experiments to turn theoretical ideas into concrete data; drafted a business plan; carried out market research, expert interviews, and community science outreach.
- Final Preparations: Built wiki website, prepared all required submission materials, and participated in multiple online mock defenses. Under the guidance of mentors, the team continuously refined its presentation structure and defense delivery.
- Showcasing in Paris: Five team members traveled to Paris to attend the iGEM Grand Jamboree. At the team booth, they interacted and exchanged ideas with teams from around the world, working closely with their online teammates. With confident presentations, rigorous scientific logic, and seamless teamwork, they earned recognition from both the judges and the audience.
Ultimately, the SUIS team was awarded a Gold Medal in the 2025 iGEM Competition, and the “Best Entrepreneurship” for their solid scientific research and innovative business vision.
This achievement reflects not only the students’ dedication and teamwork but also the success of Xiehe cross-campus collaboration and innovative talent development model. The entire project vividly embodies Xiehe’s educational philosophy of “Developing in Harmony, where East Meets West,” demonstrating students’ excellence in academic research, business planning, team collaboration, and global communication.
Reflections by the 2025 SUIS iGEM Team
Chris Li (SUIS Gubei)
Our team has developed a bio-inspired coating based on mussel foot proteins, combined with antimicrobial and anti-fouling peptides to address hospital-acquired infections. During the research process, we overcame challenges such as protein expression and efficacy validation. In the defense, we thoroughly addressed questions on scalability and long-term effects through expert consultations, ultimately earning recognition with solid data and teamwork.
Alyssa Wang (SUIS Pudong)
As the team leader, I gained immensely. From the winter online courses to the summer intensive training, I delved into our project and experiments. In the wet lab, I learned meticulous procedures and data recording. With the dry lab, I was responsible for design and moderated expert interviews. This journey allowed me to explore the market and engage deeply with science and truth. I am passionate about our research and committed to sustaining this scientific enthusiasm.
✦ + Team Member
Angela Chen (SUIS Jiaoke)
Just as the world observed under a microscope is precise and orderly, each late-night discussion, model debugging session, and revision of the defense draft during the competition served as a testament to the team’s unwavering dedication. Ultimately, our team were awarded the gold medal in the final defense on October 30th.
Within the BC program at SUIS Jiaoke, my academic interests and spirit of inquiry have been consistently recognized and encouraged, enabling me to transform passion into meaningful action. Whenever I encountered challenges, my subject teacher, Ms. Rumbi, not only provided valuable guidance but also offered supplementary resources to support my progress. Likewise, my homeroom teacher promptly offered counsel when I expressed concerns about balancing competition preparation with my responsibilities as class monitor, helping me effectively manage both leadership duties and academic commitments.
This experience has reinforced my understanding that scientific inquiry is not a solitary endeavor, but rather a collaborative journey illuminated by peers and guided by selfless mentor-ship.
Zelda Wei (SUIS Gubei)
Our iGEM trip to Paris provided an ideal platform to present our project globally. We were exposed to outstanding innovations from around the world and gained a deeper appreciation for the vast potential of synthetic biology. The competition spans diverse fields including climate, healthcare, industry, and aerospace, with each project offering innovative solutions to global challenges. We were honored to participate, actively exchanging ideas with universities worldwide and fostering a global exchange of information and perspectives.
Annabelle Du (SUIS Pudong)
As a member of the team Byssus, I gained a lot and it is immensely rewarding. I participated in both the wet and dry labs. Through the experiences in the labs, doing interviews, learning how wiki is coded, the judging session, the booth in Paris and etc. I have learned new skills, improved upon some of my weaknesses, and advanced my ability in my areas of interest. This experience has become a part of me and is truly unforgettable.
Tina Ji (SUIS Pudong)
Participating IGEM, judging session was worthwhile. The hard work over the past few months was a testament to our devotion to synthetic biology and effort. Besides offering a platform for conference, the judging session allowed us to hear the thoughts of scientists and entrepreneurs on their ideas and suggestions, which encouraged us to refine our approach. Aside from all thoughts, I express my sincerest appreciation for my team members and all the people behind our team that provided support in any kind or form, to me, our team and iGEM.
Jenny Lu (SUIS Pudong)
It was a great privilege to join the iGEM competition with such a dedicated and reliable team, gaining an unforgettable learning experience. As a dry-lab member, I had the opportunity to communicate with professors, analyze business models, and explore knowledge across diverse fields. At the Paris competition, I worked with my teammates to present our project to judges and visitors from multiple countries, which deepened my understanding of the wet-lab’s experimental research. In the romantic city of Paris, we were too excited to hear that we WON the gold medal!
Lulu Ma (SUIS Pudong)
This year, having the honor to participate in iGEM was an invaluable experience. Crafting our business plan and staging offline education initiatives granted me an entirely new perspective on both market realities and synthetic biology. Over a few intensive months, our efforts turned the seemingly impossible into tangible success, and every achievement we attained would not have been possible without the dedication of our entire team.
Anna Peng (SUIS Qingpu)
In this year’s iGEM team, I participated in wet-lab experiments, lab note recording, safety documentation, and dry-lab video production, as well as the online defense. Our team maintained a positive and collaborative spirit, and the summer research experience was both fulfilling and enjoyable. At this moment, I’m already looking forward to competing again next year and continuing to explore the boundless possibilities of synthetic biology!
Lilian Tong (SUIS Qingpu)
During iGEM, I developed the business strategy for our synthetic biology medical coating, merging scientific and market analysis to evaluate its cross-industry potential and consumer trust. When experiments stalled, I utilized external data to refine our plan. This experience honed my ability to make evidence-based decisions under uncertainty and taught me that improving outcomes relies on systemic incentives and design—principles crucial to both health and business strategy.
The 2025 iGEM competition has successfully concluded, with SUIS students showcasing their strength and creativity to write a brilliant chapter of their own. A new journey is about to begin — recruitment for the 2026 SUIS iGEM Team is launching soon!
If you are passionate about life sciences, business innovation, social research, or international exchange, we invite you to join us in exploring the boundless possibilities of synthetic biology. Embark on your own scientific journey through teamwork and on the global stage.
Those who are interested in join the team, may contact the biology teacher or university guidance counselor of your school, for more information and registration details!
