Thai SynBio Challenge 2025: Designing Chromoproteins
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Thai SynBio Challenge 2025 invited teams to explore synthetic biology through chromoproteins: proteins that produce visible color. Under the theme “Designing the Protein for Tomorrow,” the challenge connected creative applications with the scientific work needed to turn an idea into a testable design.
I contributed ideas to the challenge’s design and evaluation, including questions to help teams connect their choice of protein and color with a practical use.
From a sequence to a useful color
Teams proposed a chromoprotein design and explained what it could be used for. Applications could range from visual tags to monitoring tools, encouraging participants to think about both molecular function and the needs of a potential user.
The challenge paired design work with biofoundry support at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT). That connection gave teams a route from a proposed sequence to experimental testing, making the competition an opportunity to compare design expectations with observed performance.
Building a learning community
The project brought together protein design, scientific communication, and questions about practical applications. It offered a way for participants in Thailand to engage with engineering biology through a focused design problem and shared experimental resources.
Visit the Thai SynBio Challenge website and select 2025 Highlights for the previous competition’s photos, videos, and stories.