Ten-year iGEM: 2016

Are there any regrets at that time?

Of course. Personally the biggest regret is that I failed to contribute more in the summer vacation, during which I went to the summer camp of University of Chicago while the project has entered the most important period. This forced our junior successors to explore how to finish the experiments by their own and, due to lack of experience, they failed most of the experiments. For instance, to validate that the system really works, we need to prove that dCas9 can bind sgRNA and ssDNA in vitro. This includes many biochemical experiments with which our teammates are not familiar. So it really takes time. Fortunately our junior successors are reliable and got useful data by repeated attempts.

And I think Tsinghua University iGEM team has long been facing such a dilemma, with the juniors attending summer camp in other countries and the sophomores left burdened by a large number of experiments. And that’s why we selected many teammates that are not forced to participate summer camp this time. While further solutions are still waiting for discussion.

What do you think about iGEM and synthetic biology, having participated in it for two years? Is there any change in your views?

The iGEM is basically a synthetic biology competitiaon that requires participants to achieve improvements in present biological systems or even to create new systems based on biological principles, and engineering ideas and means. From an academic point of view, we need to design new methods and components, understand the standardization and modularization of biological components, and apply mathematical modeling to the subject. These engineering, cross-disciplinary training is undoubtedly an excellent learning opportunity for Tsinghua University undergraduate whom mainly focus on basic disciplines.

However, after the reform in 2014, iGEM gradually became a highly commercial event, not only the cost of the event is extremely expensive, but also do the experimental results need "exaggerated" polishing, and its operating mode and assessment standards are not perfect. For the students pursuing "pure" basic research, this may not be the best choice.

What kind of team do you think Tsinghua iGEM 2016 is?

The iGEM team is like a big family. After a year of getting along with, the team members often become good friends and some even start a family with each other (bless them). It is true that everyone is overwhelmed by daily academic tasks, and it’s really the love for iGEM and synthetic biology that gather us together. In retrospect, iGEM actually occupies more than half of my college career without notice. Two years of iGEM participating, including the stacks of LB plates in Dai lab, the bench for Tsinghua iGEMers, the weekly meetings in B201, the sleepless nights before Wiki freeze, preparation in Boston before presentation, and the acquaintance and communication with peers from all around the world, are all unforgettable memories.

What suggestions would you like to give to the junior successors of Tsinghua?

If you want to do something, do it boldly! Tsinghua University provides a very good platform for undergraduate research—plenty of competition funds, well-established scientific research conditions, a high degree of autonomy for the project design, and those overqualified partners. Is there any reason for not loving it?