2019 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM) came to a successful end in Boston Hynes Convention Center at 3 P.M Eastern Time on November 4 (November 5 Beijing Time), 2019. This year, 344 teams from all over the world participated in the competition, and Xiamen University (XMU) once again won the gold medal.

Founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the iGEM Competition is the top international competition in the field of synthetic biology. This annual competition targets undergraduate university students, as well as high school and graduate students. The iGEM Competition gives students the opportunity to push the boundaries of synthetic biology by tackling everyday issues facing the world. Multidisciplinary teams work together to design, build, test, and measure a system of their own design using interchangeable biological parts and standard molecular biology techniques. iGEM teams work inside and outside the lab, creating sophisticated projects that strive to create a positive contribution to their communities and the world.

This year, iGEM team XMU-China comprised over 20 undergraduates from the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Department of Software Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Energy, Art School, School of Mathematical Sciences, College of the Environment & Ecology. Instructed by Professor Fang Baishan from College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, the team used synthetic biology to classify and stimulate the complex group relationships. After a year of preparation and experiments, the team finally won the gold medal, which marked the ninth gold medal obtained by XMU students in the iGEM competition.