Six undergraduates from the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) won the gold medal prize in the 2014 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM) concluded in Boston, the United States, reported Changsha Evening News.

Senior students including Qiu Xinyuan and Li Miyang grabbed the prize for their research project "the shortest path of directed graph in coli bacillus genetic coding" under the guidance of Department of Chemistry and Biology, College of Science.

The team focused on the algorithm and synthesized exogenous genes through the use of system genetics principles and synthetic biology technology. They designed the signal transduction processes within microbial cells based on their transcriptional regulation relationship and mapped into cells the logical path graph. This method makes it reality for coli bacillus to become a biological computer that can solve mathematical problems as such. The program has showed the potential of bio-computing, laying a solid foundation for further study of biological computing to address mathematic and engineering puzzles that are more complicated.

Known as the World Championship in Synthetic Biology, iGEM is a competition of the highest level in the field for university students. The contest this year has attracted 245 teams worldwide including several world-class universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge University and Harvard University.