Seminar

figure 1: iGEM seminar opening ceremony

The iGEM seminar took place from August 19 to 20 at Kang Chiao International School Linkou Campus in Taiwan, aiming to prepare various teams for the upcoming final competition in Paris and advance the cause of synthetic biology in Taiwan. Over the two-day event, seven schools, including National Chung Hsing University, National Tsing Hua University, National Chung Cheng University, Washington High School, Chung Shan Medical University, Kang Chiao International School Linkou, and Xiugang Campus, were invited to participate. With more than 100 attendees, the seminar featured esteemed speakers such as Dr. Lien, Professor Lin, and Ms. Yao, providing valuable feedback to the participating groups. The initial day included a science fair session where teams set up individual poster stands, facilitating the free exchange of ideas among participants.

figure 2 & 3: science fair discussion.

This was followed by a team leader and instructor experience-sharing section, allowing leaders and instructors to discuss challenges faced and share insights into synthetic biology. Ms. Sabrina Yeo, the founder of the Taiwan iGEM community, delivered a speech on the Paris competition and pertinent considerations.

figure 4: team leader group discussion.
figure 5: Ms. Yao giving a speech.

The second day commenced with a mock iGEM competition, during which each team had a 15-minute presentation slot followed by a 7-minute Q&A session.

figure 6: team presentation
figure 7: Q&A

After all the presentations, Dr. Lien provided a speech on public health and offered feedback on the teams' performances before concluding the seminar. Through this two-day seminar, our team was able to receive valuable insights and feedback from other teams, professors, and our special guests.

figure 8: Dr. Lien giving a speech.

The 2023 iGEM in Taiwan helped us locate the weaknesses in our project and improve it, but also helped promote synthetic biology and the iGEM competition.

figure 9: group photo.