From November 16 to 22, 2025, the 2025 CAS–MPG Summer School on Quantitative Synthetic Biology was successfully held in Guangming, Shenzhen. Co-organized by the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology (MPI-TM), the event aimed to foster in-depth exchange and collaboration between young scientists from China and Germany in synthetic biology. The program also sought to strengthen bilateral innovation in technology development and promote the international application and industrialization of synthetic biology, particularly in biomanufacturing.The Summer School followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the joint organization of summer schools between CAS and the Max Planck Society (MPG) in October 2024, during a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of their collaboration. As a key initiative under this agreement, the event attracted nearly 140 scholars from China and Germany.
On November 16, the Summer School opened with the CAS Young Scientists International Academic Salon. Professor Chenli Liu (Director of SIAT) presented SIAT’s strategic vision, including the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology and Shenzhen Synthetic Biology Infrastructure. Professor Helge Bode (Managing Director of MPI-TM) shared MPI’s research priorities, fostering mutual understanding between the two systems. Participants visited synthetic biology research facilities and engaged in site-specific discussions on translating quantitative research into biomanufacturing applications. An ice-breaking session followed, bringing together 33 young researchers from both countries.
On November 17, Professor Liu officially opened the Summer School. He linked the event to SIAT’s motto: “Dreams Shape the Future, Applications Create Value.” Professor Bode called the event a “highly productive dialogue” and encouraged collaborative exploration. Representatives from CAS Bureau of International Cooperation and the Max Planck Society also attended. The academic program contains six thematic sessions and nearly 50 experts and young scholars covered six core topics:
Design and engineering of natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic cellular systems
Optimization of novel metabolic pathways
Engineering of synthetic microbial consortia
Signaling networks in bio-hybrid systems
Advanced protein engineering and evolution
Applications in sustainable biomanufacturing, environment, energy, and future medicine
Editors-in-chief from mSystems and Applied and Environmental Microbiology (ASM) led a workshop on manuscript structure, data presentation, peer review, and journal selection. The event also featured invited talks, lightning talks, posters, and interactive discussions. Professor Tobias Erb (Managing Director of MPI-TM) noted, “SIAT and the Max Planck Society share a bold vision: to create new value through biotechnology and contribute to global sustainability. We are not seeking a simple sum of individual efforts, but a synergy that neither side could create alone.” He emphasized that science knows no borders, and that open sharing and intellectual collisions are key to breakthroughs. “This Summer School is a symbolic starting point and lays the foundation for deeper collaboration.”
