A team of six students from the Department of Biotechnology Engineering presented an engineered bacterial system for detecting water pollutants in Boston, returning to Israel with a gold medal and international recognition. This is the greatest achievement of the department’s representation since its founding.
An outstanding achievement for the college’s students: a team from the Department of Biotechnology Engineering won a gold medal and first place in the Sustainability category at the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competition — the world’s most prestigious international competition in synthetic biology, held annually in Boston with hundreds of teams from leading universities.
The team, made up of six second- and third-year students, spent the past year developing an engineered bacterial system able to detect industrial pollutants in water sources and produce a fluorescent signal within minutes — a cheap, fast, portable alternative to expensive lab tests. The project was developed in the department’s genetic engineering lab, under the guidance of Prof. Michal Barnea, head of the department.
From idea to lab
The idea was born from a real challenge: monitoring water quality in Galilee streams. The students designed a synthetic genetic pathway inserted into harmless E. coli bacteria, so that in the presence of certain heavy metals a gene encoding a fluorescent protein is activated. The higher the pollutant concentration — the stronger the glow, enabling a simple quantitative reading.
The long road to Boston
The road to the competition was not easy. For about eight months, the students combined lab work with their regular studies, secured funding from industry partners, and worked with local residents to understand real needs on the ground. Their scientific training took place in the department’s labs, alongside close mentoring from faculty and PhD students.
The students didn’t just learn synthetic biology — they translated it into a real solution to an environmental problem. That’s exactly the engineering spirit we nurture in the department.
Following the win, the department is now exploring further development of the technology into a commercial prototype, together with players in the environmental and water industry. Two team members have already begun their final-year projects extending the idea, and there is intent to field a new team to represent the college in next year’s competition as well.
“This success belongs to the students — to their curiosity, perseverance and teamwork,” Prof. Barnea concluded. “We are proud of them, and certain this is only the beginning. The Galilee has put itself on the map of global synthetic biology.”.
“This success belongs to the students — to their curiosity, perseverance and teamwork,” Prof. Barnea concluded. “We are proud of them, and certain this is only the beginning. The Galilee has put itself on the map of global synthetic biology.”.
