From November 18 to 21, 2025, the ASM–SIAT Symposium on Microbiology and Biotechnology was successfully held in Shenzhen. Jointly organized by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIAT), the symposium was themed “The Microbe‑Driven Biotechnology Revolution”. It gathered nearly 300 distinguished experts, young scholars, and journal editors from more than 10 countries and regions, covering synthetic biology, systems biology, microbial metabolic engineering, and frontier translational applications. This symposium represents another key international academic collaboration by SIAT, reflecting its proactive engagement with world‑leading scientific organization and the global scientific community’s growing recognition of China and Shenzhen as rising hubs for biotechnology innovation.

  The opening ceremony was moderated by Professor Xian’en Zhang, Dean of the School of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology. At the opening ceremony, Dr. Stefano Bertuzzi, Chief Executive Officer of ASM, described Shenzhen as “an internationally significant node for synthetic biology”. He noted that ASM selected Shenzhen for its top talent, dynamic research ecosystem, and unique innovation environment. The symposium aims to share scientific discoveries, accelerate technology translation, and build a long‑term collaborative bridge between Chinese and global synthetic biology communities.

  Professor Chenli Liu, Director of SIAT and ASM Ambassador to China, stated that the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology has built leading strengths at the interface of microbial science and engineering, opening new paths in precision medicine and sustainable biomanufacturing. This first collaboration with ASM is a milestone, highlighting Shenzhen’s openness and vitality as a science and innovation hub in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. He expressed hope that the symposium will become an annual global platform to advance microbial technologies from lab to application and shape the future bioeconomy. Professor Jianguo Xu, President of the Chinese Society for Microbiology (CSM) and Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, emphasized CSM’s commitment to international cooperation with ASM and global partners. CSM looks forward to establishing deeper, stronger, and more influential international partnerships in microbiology and biotechnology.

  The symposium focused on four cutting‑edge themes, including artificial intelligence in microbiology; synthetic biology; applied microbial ecosystems; and metabolic engineering and the bioeconomy. More than 30 globally renowned scholars delivered keynote and invited lectures, including Prof. Jay Keasling, Prof. Rob Knight, Prof. Sang Yup Lee, Prof. Guoping Zhao, Prof. Zixin Deng and Prof. Vaughn Cooper. Participants discussed the full innovation chain of modern biotechnology, from AI‑driven computational design and metabolic pathway prediction to programmable strain construction and industrial bioproduction. They also explored how microbiome and microbial ecology research are reshaping the future of health, energy, and environmental sustainability.

  During the “Meet the Editors” session, Prof. Ashley Shade (Editor-in-Chief, mSystems), Prof. Jian Xu (Editor, mSystems), Prof. Gemma Reguera (Editor-in-Chief, Applied and Environmental Microbiology), and Prof. Ningyi Zhou (Editor, Applied and Environmental Microbiology) engaged with participants on a range of academic publishing topics. Discussions covered the appropriate use of artificial intelligence tools in manuscript writing and publication, with a strong emphasis on ensuring originality, data integrity, and image ethics. Drawing on the latest peer review standards, the editors also shared practical submission strategies to help early-career researchers improve their acceptance rates. The symposium also featured diverse interactive formats, including lightning talks and poster presentations. The Best Poster Awards were presented at the closing ceremony to recognize outstanding research contributions.

  This symposium not only showcased the cutting-edge breakthroughs in microbial science and biotechnology, but also significantly deepened international academic exchanges and industry–academia–research collaboration. As a milestone in the first collaboration between SIAT and ASM, the conference has laid a solid foundation for future cooperation in research innovation, technology translation, and global partnership. It fully demonstrates Shenzhen’s strong appeal and international influence as a global hub for synthetic biology innovation and industrial clustering.