Eight teams from Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) advanced to the final of the inaugural Global Collegiate Life Sciences Competition, winning two gold, two silver and two bronze prizes, as well as two Excellence Awards. The final round was held from October 15 to 17, 2026, bringing together 181 teams from 79 institutions across China.

Group photo of SYSU teams

Initiated and hosted by the Life Sciences Open Alliance, the competition encourages undergraduate and graduate students to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and life sciences. Its four tracks covered AI-assisted drug design, gene editing and nucleic tool design, virtual screening of small-molecule drugs, and delivery carrier design.

SYSU also coordinated the competition’s South China division and received the Outstanding Organization Award in recognition of its organizational work and support. The university will host the second edition of the challenge in 2027, continuing its efforts to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among medicine, AI and life sciences. The initiative also aligns with SYSU’s ongoing development of medical education as the university marks 160 years of medical education in 2026.