Separate Undergraduate and Graduate Tracks Operated
Full iGEM Participation Fee of 40 Million Won Provided to Four Finalist Teams
Korea's first synthetic biology competition is kicking off in earnest, with 35 teams confirmed for the finals after a highly competitive selection process. The teams ultimately selected will receive full support for the participation fee for the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, accelerating the entry of young researchers onto the global stage.
On March 3, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that, after the first round of screening for the "2026 Synthetic Biology Competition," 35 teams (20 undergraduate teams and 15 graduate student teams) have been selected to advance to the finals. The four teams that are ultimately chosen will receive support for the participation costs for iGEM, the international synthetic biology competition.
This competition is designed to encourage university (and graduate) students to directly design and research solutions to humanity's challenges-such as energy, environment, healthcare, and food-using synthetic biology technology. Despite being held for the first time, the event attracted applications from 104 teams representing 37 universities and government-funded research institutes nationwide, resulting in a competition rate of 3 to 1.
The first round of screening was carried out by a judging panel made up of experts from industry, academia, and research institutes, who conducted a comprehensive evaluation of idea creativity, technical feasibility, and potential social impact. The panel commented, "Many challenging and innovative projects were proposed, confirming the potential of synthetic biology-based problem-solving."
The 35 selected teams will begin their research in March. The Ministry of Science and ICT will provide an initial research grant of 5 million won to each undergraduate team and 25 million won to each graduate student team, along with intensive expert mentoring. The competition will be operated in two tracks-undergraduate and graduate student-tailored to the participants' levels.
In the undergraduate track, two final teams will be selected at the finals in May. They will receive an additional 7 million won in research funding and represent Korea at the "2026 iGEM International Competition" to be held in Paris, France, in November. In the graduate track, two teams will be chosen at the finals in October to receive a second research grant of 40 million won, and after a year of intensive research, they will participate in the "2027 iGEM International Competition."
In particular, the four teams ultimately selected for the finals will receive comprehensive support for the iGEM competition participation fee (including registration and airfare), worth approximately 40 million won per team, in addition to their research grants.
Kim Sungsoo, policy chief of Research and Development at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "Synthetic biology is a core strategic technology that will lead the era of bio-transformation," adding, "We will actively support young talent so they can showcase their capabilities on the global stage and lead the future bio-economy."
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