Three teams from Jilin University (JLU) secured one gold and two silver medals at the 2023 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM).

The competition attracted over 7,000 students from around 60 countries, with 404 teams competing globally. JLU's CJUH-JLU-China team claimed a gold medal, while the Jilin-China and JLU-China teams earned silver.

Professors HU Xin and WAN Youzhong from the Norman Bethune Third School of Clinical Medicine led the CJUH-JLU-China team consisting of 14 students. By combining the CRISPR/Cas13a system with lateral flow strips, this team developed BreFast, a fast and convenient screening kit for breast cancer early detection.

The Jilin-China team consisting of 19 students was guided by professors YU Xianghui and CHEN Yan from the College of Life Sciences, along with other faculty members. The team developed a mild therapy for melanoma based on a temperature-sensitive inversion control system.

Professor ZHANG Yonggang and GU Fangming from the College of Computer Science and Technology were the principal investigators of the JLU-China team, with the School of Public Health researchers guiding the team’s experimental group.

The team including 20 students provided an innovative, feasible, safe solution to improve lens wearers safety and comfort, lower infection risks, by creating a DMBT1 protein system and developing a multifunctional smart lens case that monitors solution properties in real-time.

iGEM is a global synthetic biology competition for university students. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across biology, medicine, mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering.

JLU first entered the iGEM competition in 2014 with the Jilin-China team, which won its first gold medal in 2016. From 2018 to 2022, JLU has enjoyed a remarkable streak, securing five consecutive gold medals.