Over 265 university teams and nearly 1,900 young talents across Asia showcased their innovations in synthetic biology across diverse fields at the 4th SynBio Challenges in Shenzhen from August 6 to 9.

Liu Chenli, vice chair of SynBio Challenges and president of the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, emphasized three aspects of synthetic biology. "We are not merely studying DNA, but redefining biology itself," he said. "This competition transcends practice to real-world execution; and here in Shenzhen—a city thriving on technological advancement—these cutting-edge facilities empower us to turn ideas into real-world solutions."

Zhang Xian'en, chairman of SynBio Challenges and vice president of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology, said SynBio Challenges 2025 ignited young innovators. "This platform empowers students to strive for excellence, demonstrate their talents, and forge lasting international friendships," Zhang, also dean of the Faculty of Synthetic Biology at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, said.

SynBio Challenges, launched in 2022, is supported by the Chinese Society of Biotechnology and co-hosted by SIAT, Shenzhen Institutes of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Synthetic Biology Association, and the National Industrial Innovation Center for Bio-manufacturing.

Building on synthetic biology's leading position in future industries, it advances a holistic integration of education, technology and talent development.

"Synthetic biology is deeply connected to our daily lives, it's a very fascinating and thrilling new paradigm," said Anisza, a PhD student from the IGNITE team of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The competition featured seven major tracks: Synthetic Cell, Bacterial Gladiator, Protein Design, Biomedicine, Agriculture & Environment, Biochemical Engineering, and Responsible Innovation.

Three teams from Thailand's Suranaree University of Technology said their goal was to design more stable proteins for disease tracking and antibacterial assays. Though most of them were molecular biology majors, they said they were fascinated by synthetic biology's rapid growth and enjoyed working together, getting new knowledge.