Yogyakarta, Indonesia — The UGM-Indonesia iGEM 2025 team announced it has won a GoldMedal in the Biomanufacturing Village at iGEM Grand Jamboree held at the Paris ConventionCentre (Porte de Versailles), France.
UGM-Indonesia’s 2025 project advances low-cost biomanufacturing of a DENV-2 Domain IIIsubunit vaccine in Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco). The team’s approach leverages salt-inducibleTYDV Rep/RepA expression systems to drive efficient protein production in plants. This effort isan avenue that could make dengue vaccination more accessible across resource-limited settings.The team’s project focuses on an everyday problem with big impact: making dengue protectionmore affordable and easier to produce. In simple terms, the students are exploring how commonplants can act like tiny factories. If successful, this approach could help lower costs and makeaccess to protection more equitable.
UGM-Indonesia’s 2025 project advances low-cost biomanufacturing of a DENV-2 Domain IIIsubunit vaccine in Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco). The team’s approach leverages salt-inducibleTYDV Rep/RepA expression systems to drive efficient protein production in plants. This effort isan avenue that could make dengue vaccination more accessible across resource-limited settings.The team’s project focuses on an everyday problem with big impact: making dengue protectionmore affordable and easier to produce. In simple terms, the students are exploring how commonplants can act like tiny factories. If successful, this approach could help lower costs and makeaccess to protection more equitable.
This achievement matters for Indonesia and beyond. Dengue affects ma
ny families every year,and solutions that are practical, safe, and scalable can strengthen public health. The UGMstudents showed how young innovators from Indonesia can contribute ideas that make a realdifference on the global stage.
The project nickname SALTY, or Salt Activated with TYDV, were supported by AnanditaAmalia (Biology), Salma Rohmaniah (Biology), Erwinda Dwi Chofifah (Biology), TsaqifaZuhayra Emery Bagus (Biology), Nauval Rajwaa Raysendria (Biology), Geraldine YaraAmritarashmi (Biology), Tan Rendy (Biology), Shainna Nur Sharfina (Biology), andPamastadewi Pryankha Hijrianto (Biology) in collaboration with 11 other people from faculty ofMedicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science,and also Faculty of Agriculture.
This project was supported by 15 advisors, coordinated by Dr. Yekti Asih Purwestri, M.Si.(Biology), assisted by Widhi Dyah Sawitri, S.Si., M.Agr., Ph.D. (Agriculture), M. SaifurRohman, M.Eng., Ph.D. (Agriculture), apt. Setyowati Triastuti Utami, Ph.D. (Pharmacy), DewiKartikawati Paramita, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. (Medicine), Prof. dr. Tri Baskoro Tunggul Satoto,M.Sc., Ph.D. (Medicine), Dr.rer.nat. Abdul R. Siregar, S.Si., M.Biotech (Biology), IndraLesmana, S.Si., M.Sc. (Biology), Afif Pranaya Jati, S.P., M.Sc. (Biotechnology), Aries BagusSasongko, S.Si., M.Biotech. (Biology), Imam Bagus N., S.Si., M.Sc. (Agrotechnology), OliviaPangaribuan, S.Agr (Master Student in Agriculture), Nayaka Bagus W. A. H., S. Ked. (Alumni ofFaculty of Medicine), apt. I Made Rhamandana Putra, S. Farm (Alumni of Faculty of Pharmacy),and Adhityo W., M.Sc., Ph.D. (GSI).
The fund of this project was supported by Universitas Gadjah Mada, Panin Bank, YSDS,Rentokil, CropLife Indonesia, Forsains Edutech Indonesia, SnapGene, GSI Academy, IGF, PT.Indolab Utama, Merck, and ScienceWerke.
