Pioneering CRISPR-Cas9-Based Regenerative Therapy for DMD, ITB Students Excel in Biotechnology Essay Competition
By Mely Anggrini - Mahasiswa Meteorologi, 2022
Editor M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
ITB’s “Kue Bolu” Team Wins 1st Place in National Biotechnology Essay Competition by i3L (Photo: Kue Bolu Team)
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id – Three students from the Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Program at the School of Pharmacy, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)—Sellin Leony, Rendi Orvalo Wijaya, and Abbigail Wynna—secured 1st place in an English essay competition titled "Novel Genetic Approaches for Therapeutic Purposes," organized by the Indonesia International Institute of Life Sciences (i3L). The final round was held offline at the i3L Campus in East Jakarta on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
The trio, forming Team "Kue Bolu," underwent a challenging journey to the finals. After passing the preliminary selection stage, they promptly arranged their trip to Jakarta and began intensive preparations for their presentation.
"We were drawn to this competition because the theme focused on biotechnology, which was both intriguing and exciting. It was a great opportunity to collaborate on researching topics we hadn’t explored before," said Abbigail.
The competition was fiercely contested. Out of approximately 20 teams, only five advanced to the finals. The challenge was heightened as all presentations had to be delivered in English, and many participants hailed from biotechnology backgrounds—unlike Team Kue Bolu, whose members specialized in pharmaceutical sciences.
"We competed against biotechnology students, whereas we are pharmacy majors who only began studying biotechnology this semester. This created a significant gap in our understanding of biotechnological aspects," Abbigail added.
Photo: Team Kue Bolu’s Presentation at the i3L Essay Competition Finals on Saturday (22/3/2025) (Photo: Kue Bolu Team)
Under the guidance of advisor Dr. Ratna Annisa Utami, S.Si., M.Si., Team Kue Bolu presented their work titled "Nanofiber Scaffolds-Based Delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 Edited Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs) for Personalized Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Regenerative Therapy." This innovation proposes a regenerative therapy based on genetic and tissue engineering for patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder causing progressive muscle weakness.
Their approach centered on the integration of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, stem cells, and tissue scaffolds. What set Team Kue Bolu apart was their distinctive pharmaceutical perspective. While their biotechnological technical aspects were less in-depth, they emphasized product manufacturing, preclinical and clinical testing, PESTLE analysis, and strategies for external collaboration.
"That became our added value in the judges’ eyes. We covered the entire product lifecycle—not just the technology but also its real-world implementation," Rendi explained.
Their success stemmed from meticulous strategy and teamwork. According to Sellin, the key was forming a team with close peers, making discussions and collaboration more enjoyable and cohesive. They also actively explored new ideas and learned from other teams during the final presentation session.
Concluding the interview, Team Kue Bolu shared advice for students interested in similar competitions:
"Don’t hesitate to start, even if your idea feels imperfect or the competition seems mismatched. Trust your team members, remain open to exploring new ideas, and always be willing to learn—whether from advisors or fellow participants," Abbigail remarked.
Reporter: Mely Anggrini (Meteorology, 2022)
Translator: Dina Avanza Mardiana (Microbiology, 2022)
