28 Jan 2026
XJTLU has officially proceed in the formation of its student teams for the 2026 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition. Following a highly competitive internal selection, an interdisciplinary group of undergraduates has been designated to advance the University’s iGEM wet-lab project under the supervision of Dr. Yongtao Zhu and Dr. Chun Chan from the School of Science.
This year’s team consists of 21 talented students from multiple academic units across XJTLU, including the School of Science, the Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy, the School of Mathematics and Physics, and the School of AI and Advanced Computing. Bring together backgrounds in biology, chemistry, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and engineering, their collective intellect and shared dedication are now focused on a novel research concept related to synthetic biology-assisted protein expression strategies. A preliminary project proposal and feasibility assessment have been completed. At this stage, the team has been established and is focusing on project development and preparation. Details of team composition and project progress will be shared with the University community at appropriate milestones. Additionally, the team will actively explore how this project can address specific societal needs, thereby practicing responsible research and innovation.
Team Members
School of Science：Tingting Chen, Jiaying Gu, Yuehan Hu, Yiming Huang, Siqi Liu, Ruizhong Shu, Ziyun Shi, Shunran Wang, Jiaxing Ye, Yue Yu, Yinren Zhao, Keyi Zhao
XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy Zhengyayuan Cao, Ge Gao, Feiyu Yang
School of Mathematics and Physics：Zixu Xu
School of AI and Advanced Computing： Jiaqi Zheng
School of Foundation: Ruoxuan Chen, Ziming Sang, Fangying Xiang, Tianle Yang
The 2026 student team steps into a legacy of significant accomplishment. They are inspired and motivated by the exceptional precedent set by XJTLU’s previous iGEM student teams, whose innovative research earned global recognition and set a remarkably high standard for excellence. Building directly upon this foundation of success, the new cohort is determined to advance the University's reputation for cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research on the world stage.
Supported by the laboratory resources and expert academic guidance of the School of Science, the student team has now entered an intensive preparation phase. Their immediate objectives are to refine the project design, optimize experimental plans, and steadily execute their research in alignment with iGEM’s rigorous requirements. This exciting journey is designed to further strengthen their capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration, scientific innovation, and project management.
The project is currently in its early developmental stages. The XJTLU community will be kept informed of the team’s progress as they work toward their ambitious goal of contributing another outstanding chapter to XJTLU's iGEM story.
Content：Dr Chunchan、Tingting Chen
Review：Professor John Moraros、Dr Chunchan
28 Jan 2026