The International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM), a top international event in synthetic biology, concluded on the early morning of November 15. Held online amid the Covid-19 epidemic, this event attracted 352 highly competent teams from famous universities worldwide, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The project “An intelligent platform for DNA nano machine contriving” by SJTU-Software won the gold medal and was nominated “Best Software Project”, and the project “Detection Blitz” by SJTU-BioX-Shanghai won the silver medal.

SJTU-Software is composed of 15 undergraduates and guided by Prof. Wei Zhaochun, Prof. Chen Feng, Prof. Ou Hongyu, Associate Researcher Zhang Yue, and Wu Maoying. Its project is to build a DNA computation platform that can aid researchers in various clinical scenarios including early cancer diagnosis.

SJTU-BioX-Shanghai is made up of 18 undergraduates and 3 high school students, guided by Academician He Lin, Associate Researcher Ma Gang, and Wang Yushu. The team focuses on rapid detection, using aptazyme liquid phase automatic screening technology combined with colloidal gold flow measurement analysis technology to build a platform that can quickly and automatically develop test strips for various new targets. (https://2021.igem.org/Team:OUC-China/Collaborations#section3) This platform can balance the demand of rapid detection and its R&D, thereby safeguarding the bottom line of human beings and the environment in the context of rapid development.

From 2009 to 2021, SJTU teams have collected 16 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes in iGEM. It has also received nominations such as Asian Championship, Best 16 Teams Worldwide, Best Artificial Biological Module Design, Best Medical Diagnosis Project and Best Software Project.