A community-based science team is heading to Paris this weekend to compete at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, a global event promoting innovation in synthetic biology. One of the team leaders is Aneesha Aryan, a Newton North High School student who helps guide community outreach for the project.
Out of over 400 teams competing worldwide, this team is one of only 10 high school groups from the United States.
Working out of BosLab’s nonprofit community lab in Somerville, the team designed a low-cost, rapid biosensor to detect harmful algae blooms, which have increasingly affected waterways across New England, including the Charles River. Their project uses CRISPR-based technology to identify toxin-producing bacteria in just a few hours, compared with the traditional testing methods that can take weeks.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 25 bodies of water in Massachusetts have cyanobacterial bloom advisories as of October 20. This comes two months after Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced the closing of Crystal Lake due to detection of harmful algae blooms in the water.
“It’s been incredible to work on something that blends biology, engineering and real-world impact,” Aryan said. “Seeing how our research could help protect local ecosystems makes all the long hours of work worth it.”
The project reflects BosLab’s mission to make biotechnology accessible to everyone, not just professionals or academics. By working in a collaborative environment, team members hope to show how community-driven research can address environmental issues close to home and inspire others to explore science in creative, hands-on ways.
“Harmful algae blooms are a growing problem right in our own backyard,” Aryan said. “We want to work on something that connects synthetic biology with a real local environmental challenge.”
The team will compete in Paris October 28-31, presenting their work and the results of the labs they completed to test their project.
Parker Maslowski is a junior majoring in journalism at Boston University. His work for Fig City News is through the BU Newsroom program, which pairs students with local news organizations.
