Jilin University’s (JLU) Nano-JLU team won the Grand Prize at the 12th International Bio-Molecular Design Competition (BIOMOD) on Nov 23, 2024, at Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan. This marks the first time a Chinese university has earned the competition’s top honor.

Nano-JLU also swept all five individual awards: Gold Project Award, Audience Favorite (1st place), Best YouTube Video (2nd), Best Presentation (2nd), and Best Project Website (3rd).

The Nano-JLU-2024 team was jointly mentored by faculty from the School of Life Sciences and the College of Chemistry, with student members from the School of Life Sciences, the College of Chemistry, and the College of Basic Medical Sciences. Over 11 months of preparation, team leader WEI Huashen designed a nanoswitch that integrates gold nanorods with DNA origami, featuring precise size control and photothermal responsiveness.

Established in 2016, the Nano-JLU team has represented JLU at BIOMOD seven times, earning four gold and three silver awards, as well as six category honors. A total of 58 students have participated over the years.

BIOMOD, launched by Harvard University, is a global competition focused on designing nanoscale devices using biomolecules like DNA and proteins. The 2024 event, organized by Japan’s Molecular Robotics Research Group and hosted by Kyushu Institute of Technology, brought together 16 university teams from seven countries to promote innovation and international collaboration in bionanotechnology.