The curtains have drawn on the 2nd National Postdoctoral Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition held in Yantai, Shandong, with School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) securing outstanding results. Demonstrating excellence in innovation and research, SJTU’s contestants clinched a remarkable tally of awards, including 1 gold, 4 silver, 8 bronze, and 9 excellence awards out of the 38 projects that entered the finals. Notably, the School of Biomedical Engineering at SJTU garnered both a gold and a silver, marking a record-breaking achievement for the institution.

The competition is renowned as the largest and most comprehensive platform for postdoctoral innovators and entrepreneurs in China. Themed “Intelligence Empowering Development, Postdoctoral Innovations Leading the Future,” this year's event featured four categories: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Overseas, and Challenge, spanning seven industry tracks such as next-generation information technology, advanced manufacturing, new energy and materials, biomedicine and health, modern agriculture and food, marine development and applications, among others. The event drew an impressive participation of 6,206 postdoctoral projects and 25,000 competitors.

Dr. Bao Bingkun from the School of Biomedical Engineering at SJTU emerged victorious in the Entrepreneurship category, other industries group, winning the prestigious gold award. During his postdoctoral tenure at SJTU, Dr. Bao has been honored with several accolades and grants, including the Shanghai Postdoctoral Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition Award, the Shanghai “Super Postdoctoral” Incentive Plan, and the SJTU Morning Star Postdoctoral Incentive Plan. His award-winning project, "The Development and Product Transformation of Photo-Curable Wound Closure Biomaterials," co-supervised by Professors Zhu Linyong and Lin Qiuning, addresses critical pain points in clinical wound treatment. The technology involves using a hydrogel solution to seamlessly cover wounds, followed by in-situ photocuring to ensure complete wound closure, significantly reducing the risk of infection, decreasing the frequency of dressing changes, and shortening healing times. The wound closure biomaterial has completed multicenter clinical trials and has been approved for a special review of innovative medical devices in China. The company commercializing this technology has completed its Series A funding, reflecting the project’s clinical and commercial potential.

Silver award recipient Dr. Jiang Li, also from the School of Biomedical Engineering at SJTU, has been recognized in the Challenge category for next-generation information technology. With over seven years of research experience under the guidance of Professor Zhu Linyong, Dr. Jiang has specialized in the design, synthesis, and application of fluorescent dyes, with her work published as the first author in high-impact journals like "Nature Methods." She proposed a solution for the design of water-based organic pigments, a pressing need given the shift from solvent-based to water-based organic pigments due to environmental considerations. Her project, which leverages coupling technology for creating high-performance water-based organic pigments stable in aqueous environments, received high praise from the competition judges and sponsors, earning her the silver medal.

The competition has effectively motivated postdoctoral researchers at SJTU to explore the integration of industry, academia, and research, as well as the transformation of outcomes. In recent years, the institution has prioritized postdoctoral initiatives, implementing innovative management reforms, enhancing quality control, and bolstering incentive policies. This nurturing environment attracts young and talented postdoctoral researchers both from China and abroad. Capitalizing on the success at the National Postdoctoral Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, SJTU plans to continue harnessing the potential and vitality of its postdoctoral team, reinforcing its pivotal role in nurturing talents and bolstering self-reliance in science and technology.