From Concordia’s Applied Learning classroom to the global stage in Paris, our high school iGEM team made us incredibly proud by achieving a Gold Medal at the 2025 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition—the world’s premier event to celebrate innovation in synthetic biology! 🏆 

⭐️  The team was also nominated for the “Best Environment Award” at the Grand Jamboree (World Expo of Synthetic Biology) in Paris, held at the iconic Paris Convention Centre. 

For the past 10 months, 17 Concordia student researchers have been developing solutions to plastic waste. Their innovative project “PURPLE (Plastic Upcycling, Reducing Pollution, Looping the Economy)” provides an alternative to existing plastic recycling methods that helps avoid any toxic byproducts and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Under the guidance of Mr. David Doyle, Concordia’s Applied Learning Synthetic Biology teacher, our students designed, built, and tested genetically engineered bacterial cells capable of converting plastic waste into valuable products, combining cutting-edge laboratory experimentation with sophisticated computational metabolic modeling.  

The team even developed a full business plan to bring their bio-based products to the world and developed an accessible, hands-on synthetic biology curriculum for high school education, while also raising awareness about climate change and plastic waste.

△ A 35-page agar art curriculum handbook developed by Concordia iGEM team

△ iGEM team members conduct an interview with Chloe Franklin, the Education Program Coordinator of Biobuilder

But the true victory lay in the journey itself. 

For G12 student researcher Hana R., who successfully completed a complex life cycle analysis (LCA) on carbon output for the project, this iGEM experience redefined her understanding of science.

“My perspective of science was largely that it was an individual subject due to class assignments and lab reports having at most 2-3 partners, so working with a large group of like-minded students really helped broaden my perspective, further growing my collaboration sillks and love of science along the way,” says Hana. 

“This experience taught me that real-world science requires the collaboration of several diverse skills in order to make not just a high-quality project, but one with real impact on our community,” reflects G12 student Sarah P., who served as the project manager.

“Attending the iGEM conference exposed me to the vast potential of synthetic biology, shaping my goal to work at the intersection of science and real-world application.”

For G11 student Sophie X., the experience has given her new perspectives: 

“I have come across numerous inspiring projects that have sparked innovative ideas for tackling real-world challenges in synthetic biology. Learning and analyzing how other groups did their project prepared me for next year’s iGEM.”  

The agar art curriculum handbook she contributed to was widely praised at the Jamboree, making her very proud.

As Mr. Doyle shares, all student research was conducted entirely on Concordia’s campus, empowered by the three pillars of our Applied Learning program: authentic application, academic rigor, and a focus on process skills.

“These foundational pillars enabled our students to tackle real-world challenges with scientific excellence, develop sophisticated research methodologies, and master the iterative processes essential to cutting-edge biotechnology research.”  

—Mr. David Doyle

This year (2025) marked Concordia’s second year participating in the iGEM competition. Last year, our team earned a silver medal for their “BHBetter” project, making ketone ester supplements from PET plastic. Though the faces and research focus change each year, the awards earned serve as well-deserved recognition for our research team’s dedication, innovation, and scientific excellence, as well as showcasing that Concordia is one of the few schools in Asia to offer such a comprehensive biotechnology program as a STEM strand.

Join us in celebrating our amazing students—the scientists and innovators of tomorrow!