How SIAT Is Training the Next Generation of Scientists in DNA Synthesis Screening
Biosecurity education is one of the most overlooked pillars of responsible synthetic biology. At the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, commec is being used in an ingenious way to prepare future biotechnologists for responsible practice. The result is a model that is as versatile as it is scalable.
The Challenge: Teaching Biosecurity Screening to Future Scientists
DNA synthesis screening has already become an indispensable practice for the responsible use of synthetic biology. Now the question is no longer whether future scientists should understand screening practices, but how to teach them efficiently. While much of global discussions around screening focus on policy compliance and industrial implementation, education remains an equally important, and often overlooked, pillar of biosecurity. At SIAT, which hosts high-tech biofoundries in one of China’s largest innovation hubs, this gap needed to be addressed.
The Solution: A Creative Educational Implementation of Commec
Rather than adopting commec as most companies and biofoundries do, SIAT has implemented it through a Google Colab notebook designed for educational purposes. This approach allows students to interact with real DNA synthesis screening workflows in a guided and simple environment, enabling them to explore how sequences are screened, flagged and how to act if needed. All this without requiring specialized bioinformatics expertise.
As AI tools and laboratory automation increasingly democratize protein engineering, embedding biosecurity safeguards directly into experimental workflows becomes essential. Our collaboration with IBBIS demonstrates that open community science and rigorous biosecurity are not competing objectives.
– Dr. Tong Si, a professor of synthetic biology at SIAT.
The Outcome: Versatile Deployment Across Research and Education
At SIAT, commec has been integrated into multiple stages of research. For the Critical Assessment of Protein Engineering (CAPE) challenge, all protein sequences were screened through commec before gene synthesis and experimental characterization on automated biofoundries. Students could also self-screen their own designs ahead of submission using the Google Colab notebook. Beyond CAPE, SIAT also plans to apply commec to the preparation of the iGEM Distribution Kit. Approximately 600 standardized DNA parts are manufactured using automated liquid-handling systems each year. All the parts are selected from the iGEM Registry and have already undergone safety screening. Whole-plasmid sequencing is performed for verification, and only sequence-matched parts are distributed to iGEM teams worldwide. In this context, commec is applied to sequencing results that do not match the expected reference sequence, providing additional safety and diagnostic insight into the automated production process.
What This Signals for the DNA Synthesis Industry
SIAT’s unique implementation of commec shows the software’s versatility: deployable not only in industrial settings but in classrooms, workshops and training programs, while maintaining the best possible global practices.
By developing new educational implementations of commec, SIAT is contributing to making the world a safer place, equipping the next generation of scientists with screening literacy.
Working with IBBIS
IBBIS supports DNA synthesis providers operating across borders. Commec is freely available for providers seeking alignment with the US Framework, the UK screening guidance on synthetic nucleic acids for users and providers, and broader multi-jurisdictional compliance in major bioeconomies such as the European Union and the BRICS.
About SIAT
The Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a leading research institution hosting high-tech biofoundries in one of China’s largest innovation hubs. Through initiatives such as the CAPE challenge and contributions to the iGEM Distribution Kit, SIAT is at the forefront of responsible synthetic biology research and education.
Institutions interested in educational implementations can contact IBBIS at screening@ibbis.bio to discuss their needs and explore implementation options.