Our conversations have explored carbon capture with Michael Köpke, synthetic cells with Kate Adamala, bioprospecting and biobusiness with Max van ‘t Hof, and accessible biology with Sebastian Cocioba. Other sessions cover plant synthetic biology, the bioeconomy, and preparing for graduate school.
The recordings offer a way to revisit these discussions and discover perspectives from across the field.
]]>Explore the recordings as a companion to the more structured lectures and paper-focused journal-club sessions.
The journal-club format offers a way to look beyond an abstract and spend more time with the reasoning behind a paper. It is an invitation to learn through questions and discussion.
]]>Teams design a plasmid within a 5 kb limit, with a unique DNA barcode for tracking. The designs are tested in a shared E. coli BL21(DE3) population, and barcode sequencing is used to assess their relative representation. The competition’s stated goal is to achieve the highest plasmid copy number in the mixed population.
The competition includes an Intelligence and Design phase. Finalists can study the other teams’ strategy videos and revise their own designs before synthesis. This adds a strategic dimension: a design must be considered in relation to the other entries, as well as on its own merits.
The challenge begins in 2026, with the Grand Arena final scheduled for May 2027 at Naresuan University. This post introduces the challenge; results are still to come.
Explore the official challenge website for the current guidelines, timeline, educational resources, and team announcements.
]]>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.
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.
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.
]]>Topics include DNA as a medium for storing messages, generative genomics, and engineering plants. The articles and videos complement the conversations in Thai SynBio Forum.
Explore articles from the Thailand Synthetic Biology Consortium.
Explore the Thai SynBio video playlist.
Discussions explore international policy and collaboration, bioenergy and the circular economy, and biomaterials and biochemicals. The format makes room for both technical perspectives and the experiences of people working across the field.
Read the Biomaterials and Biochemicals episode recap.
Explore the Thai SynBio video playlist.