U.S Air Force Academy Wins Gold For IGEM Research

The United States Air Force Academy (Roughton, R. and Troth, J.) 12.06.2023, published “Team wins gold for iGEM research in Paris.” The U.S. Air Force Academy’s iGEM team recently secured a gold medal at the Genetic Engineering Machine Grand Jamboree, marking their second win in four years. This global competition challenges high school and university students to merge biology with engineering, fostering innovation in synthetic biology.

The team’s project, Lyme-AID, aims to tackle Lyme disease by creating a biosensor that attracts, inhibits, and detects the disease-causing bacteria. Their goal is to develop a cost-effective, rapid, and user-friendly detection system, as current tests take up to 48 hours for results. The interdisciplinary team, consisting of students from various academic backgrounds, collaborated on this project. They conducted interviews with individuals affected by Lyme disease, including retired Col. Nicole Malachowski, to better understand the real-world impact.

The project’s scope involved diverse contributions, from developing a stick-on patch for detection to creating a children’s book on tick-borne diseases. Their initiative and research not only aim to advance medical understanding but also strive to significantly impact lives affected by Lyme disease.

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Read the full article on the United States Air Force Academy website here.

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