The Ministry of Science and ICT said on Tuesday it has completed the first round of judging for the "2026 Synthetic Biology Competition" and confirmed 35 teams for the finals.

A total of 104 teams from 37 universities and government-funded research institutes nationwide applied, for a competition ratio of 3 to 1. The competition was designed for university and graduate students to directly design and research solutions, using synthetic biology technology, to challenges facing humanity such as energy, the environment, healthcare and food.

The finalist teams comprise 20 undergraduate teams and 15 graduate teams. The ministry will provide each undergraduate team with 5,000,000 won and each graduate team with 25,000,000 won in initial research funding, and support close mentoring by experts.

In the undergraduate track, 2 final teams will be selected at the finals in May and sent to compete at the "2026 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition" international contest to be held in Paris, France, in November. In the graduate track, 2 final teams will be selected at the finals in October and, after follow-up research for 1 year, will be entered into "2027 iGEM". In addition to research funding, the final selected teams will each receive 40,000,000 won to cover participation costs for the iGEM international competition.

Kim Sung-soo (김성수), head of the R&D Policy Office at the ministry, said, "Synthetic biology is a key driver of future growth that will lead the era of a major bio transformation, and a national strategic technology." He added, "I hope this competition will serve as a stepping stone for young talent to demonstrate their capabilities on the global stage."