Stony Brook University's International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team has secured its third gold medal at the iGEM Giant Jamboree. The event, which took place from October 23-26 in Paris, France, serves as a global platform for synthetic biology. This year's competition saw participation from 438 teams across more than 45 countries. Stony Brook was among 16 U.S. collegiate teams to earn a gold medal.
The team's project aimed to create a less invasive and more cost-effective method for diagnosing B-cell lymphoma by equipping E.coli with a genetically engineered gene circuit to detect microRNAs as biomarkers for the disease.
"Stony Brook’s participation in iGEM continues to have a profound impact on our students," stated Peter Gergen, SUNY distinguished service professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. He acknowledged the cohesive nature of this year's team and credited former iGEM team members Chris Helenek, AJ Sillato, Abhishek Cherath, Michelle Yang, Bushra Islam, and Zach Don for their advice and assistance. Contributions also came from Dr. Joshua Rest (Ecology and Evolution) and Melanie Cragan (Biochemistry and Cell Biology).
This interdisciplinary team consisted of three juniors, four sophomores, and eight first-year students when they began last January. Their academic backgrounds included biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, information systems, and political science. Faculty members Peter Gergen and Kathryn Gunn from the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology co-advised the team alongside Gabor Balazsi from the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Support was also provided by staff in Undergraduate Biology.
For more information about Stony Brook’s iGEM team and their project this year, visit the iGEM website.