During the Asian Synthetic Biology Association (ASBA) Workshop held from October 22nd to 23rd, a significant collaborative effort was initiated by research institutions in China and various other Asian countries. This initiative, known as the SynCell Asia Initiative, was established with the collective aim of addressing global technological challenges. It seeks to explore innovative frameworks for talent exchange and research collaboration among participating nations, in alignment with the goals set by The Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. 

The SynCell Asia Initiative was officially announced and witnessed by the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology of SIAT, and numerous synthetic biology experts and scholars hailing from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, India, and Malaysia. 

The primary commitment of this initiative is to jointly tackle global scientific and technological challenges while also fostering institutional initiatives for the development of biofoundries, talent exchange, and collaborative scientific research. The representatives involved have expressed their strong intent to participate in the SynCell Asia Initiative, utilizing the state-of-the-art Shenzhen Infrastructure for Synthetic Biology to establish standards and promote joint research in synthetic cell development. These efforts will provide the Asian scientific community with a unique opportunity to integrate into global endeavors focused on advancing synthetic cell research, with Shenzhen serving as one of the central hubs for these collaborative research initiatives. 

Professor Matthew Chang, who serves as the Director of Singapore's National Centre for Engineering Biology and the Singapore Consortium for Synthetic Biology, highlighted the significance of this initiative, stating, "Synthetic biology is a rapidly advancing field with the potential to address critical societal challenges. I am optimistic that by harnessing the collective expertise of synthetic biology experts from these countries, they can effectively address these issues and pave the way for new avenues of collaboration." 

The ASBA hosted this remarkable event, with co-organization support from SIAT, and generous backing from the Synthetic Biology Branch of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology, Shenzhen Synthetic Biology Association, Shenzhen Industrial Innovation Center for Engineering Biology, and Guangming Science City. The SynCell Asia Initiative represents a promising step towards international cooperation in synthetic biology, promising innovative solutions to global challenges. 

ASBA Workshop Group Photo. (Image by SIAT)

Launch of SynCell Asia Initiative. (Image by SIAT)

Media Contact:
ZHANG Xiaomin
Email:xm.zhang@siat.ac.cn