On July 9, 2022,China's First Synthetic Biology Challenges ( hereinafter referred to as the SynBio Challenges ), hosted by the Chinese Society of Biotechnology, was successfully held at the Mingzhu Campus of Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT) (under preparation). The SynBio Challenges aims to provide a platform for young students to exchange ideas, learn, innovate, and create, fostering a new generation of talent in synthetic biology, life sciences, and interdisciplinary fields. This event attracted 27 teams from 21 universities nationwide,with more than 2.2 million viewers participating online and offline.This SynBio Challenges not only facilitates brainstorming and idea exchange among young students but also serves as a relay for pioneers and practitioners in synthetic biology to pass on the spirit of scientific inquiry and innovation, making it a grand event for transmitting the field to the next generation of youth.

The SynBio Challenges is jointly initiated and supported by 28 organizations, including the Faculty of Synthetic Biology at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT) (under preparation), the Institute of Synthetic Biology (iSynBio) at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, the Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, the Peking University Center for Quantitative Biology, the Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, the National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology (Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), the Center of Synthetic Biology Frontiers, Zhufeng Project at Ministry of Education of China (Tianjin University), the School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, the Alliance of International Science Organizations in the Belt and Road Region (ANSO), and DeepTech.

The SynBio Challenges's judging panel consists of nearly 30 leading experts in synthetic biology, including academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the European Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, with experts from top universities in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, and the United States. The experts provided feedback and guidance on the projects, sharing the latest developments from the academic forefront and helping students refine their ideas. The SynBio Challenges also invited well-known knowledge creators from Bilibili with over a million followers as special guests to participate in the judging, adding more highlights to the event.

As a major event in synthetic biology for young students, the SynBio Challenges encourages all participating teams to“Rather than waiting for the future, create it”and work together to establish a new flagship for synthetic biology in China.

The SynBio Challenges's innovation track adopts an "online preliminary review + one-site finals"model. An expert panel will conduct online evaluations of all teams, and then selected teams will come to Shenzhen for the final on-site competition. The SynBio Challenges includes four main stages: preliminaries, semifinals, revival round, and finals. The preliminaries are fast-paced and highlight-focused; the semifinals and revival round involve detailed presentations to test professional skills; the revival round adds suspense with ranking reversals; and the finals introduce unexpected elements: All teams deliver impromptu speeches on challenges posed by experts, testing not only their professional expertise but also their open-mindedness and ability to adapt on the spot.

Chenli Liu, Standing Director of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Synthetic Biology Division, and Director of the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, delivered the closing remarks, thanking all online and offline experts, judges, hosts, volunteers, and organizers for their efforts in the SynBio Challenges. He hopes that the Chinese SynBio Challenges will mutually promote and advance global synthetic biology development alongside the U.S.-based iGEM, contributing to the bioeconomy and sustainable social development.Finally, he wished all participating students to embark from this SynBio Challenges toward a bright future.