"Converging Intelligence, Shaping the Future" – Inaugural Meeting of Jiangsu Synthetic Biology Standardization Technical Committee and 2024 Jintan Synthetic Biology Industry Advancement Conference Successfully Held

On April 28, the inaugural meeting of the Jiangsu Provincial Technical Committee on Standardization for Synthetic Biology and the 2024 Jintan Symposium on Advancing the Development of the Synthetic Biology Industry were grandly held at the China (Changzhou) German Center. Sun Hubing, Deputy Director of the Jiangsu Provincial Administration for Market Regulation; Feng Xinggui, a Changzhou municipal leader; Xu Yawei, Deputy Secretary of the Jintan District Committee of the Communist Party of China and District Mayor; and other officials attended the event.

In his address, Xu Yawei pointed out that synthetic biology, as a core technology of the bio-manufacturing industry, boasts broad application prospects in fields such as pharmaceuticals, energy, and materials, and is fostering new transformations and opportunities. Since 2021, Jintan has proactively laid out its synthetic biology industry, establishing the city’s first synthetic biology industrial park. Meanwhile, it has actively engaged in academic exchanges, joint discipline development, and project incubation with institutions such as Hohai University and Changzhou University, striving to effectively integrate the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent chain.

Xu Yawei stated that the establishment of the Secretariat of the First Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Technical Committee on Standardization for Synthetic Biology at the BGI Engineering Biology Changdang Lake Institute holds milestone significance for the development of Jintan’s synthetic biology industry. Jintan will leverage its role as a local government liaison to continuously strengthen efforts in building major innovation platforms, accelerating the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, and attracting and cultivating high-level talent, thereby providing industry enterprises with more precise, efficient, and high-quality technical guidance and diversified services.

At the event, the Jiangsu Provincial Technical Committee for Standardization of Synthetic Biology was officially unveiled and established; the Changzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation presented the official seal to the Secretary-General of the Technical Committee and issued certificates to representative members of the Committee.

Eight projects, including the Synthetic Biology Technology Development and Market Expansion Service Platform Project, the Light-Driven Negative-Carbon Cell Factory Project, and the Research, Development, and Production of Novel Peptide Drugs Based on Synthetic Biology Project, were signed in a centralized ceremony.

Yang Jian, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jintan District Committee and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Jintan Economic and Technological Development Zone; Wang Yong, Deputy District Mayor of Jintan District; Huang He, Chairman of the First Jiangsu Provincial Synthetic Biology Standardization Technical Committee; and Xu Xun, Chen Qiang, and Shen Yue, Vice Chairmen of the Committee, attended the event.

That afternoon, the First Plenary Session of the First Term of the Jiangsu Provincial Technical Committee for Standardization in Synthetic Biology was convened. Since 2022, Jiangsu Province has actively implemented the National Outline for Standardization Development. The provincial government has held the Jiangsu Quality Conference for consecutive years to deploy standardization work across the province. In March 2024, the “Jiangsu Provincial Technical Committee for Standardization in Synthetic Biology,” with BGI Engineering Biology Changdang Lake Institute and Nanjing Normal University Changzhou Industrial Research Institute of Synthetic Biology Co., Ltd. serving jointly as the secretariat undertakers, was officially approved. Work on the layout and system construction of synthetic biology standards has been fully launched. The committee will actively establish standardization processes in various fields and guide the promotion and application of new technology standardization.

Concurrently, the recruitment launch ceremony and project roadshow for the 2024 XGI Life Health Accelerator were held, with eight startups taking the stage. It is reported that the 2024 XGI Life Health Accelerator is organized and operated by BGI Blue Rainbow. This edition will focus on fields such as the synthetic biology industry. During the six-month program, participating teams will be provided with resources and services including seed funding, business and technical guidance, and access to laboratories and instruments/equipment to accelerate their growth. After the program concludes, continued follow-up services will be provided to the projects, including investment and financing matchmaking and the exploration of potential business collaboration opportunities.