(July 27, 2015) In
Boston, the iGEM team will compete with this research project against
universities from around the world
What am I actually drinking here? Is my drinking water
contaminated with heavy metals? Or can I test if my drink has been laced with
knock-out drugs? Ten students from Bielefeld University are working on
developing test strips that would allow anyone to quickly test the quality of
their drinking water or drink. With this research project, the student team
will compete at this year’s iGEM competition in Boston, USA. iGEM stands for
“international genetically engineered machine” and is the most important
student competition in synthetic biology. From 24-28 September in Boston, the
team will present their findings and compete against other research projects by
teams from universities around the world.
Contaminated drinking water can be a problem not only in
developing countries, but also in our own backyard. Knowing what is in the
water, and whether it is safe to drink, can be crucial for survival in some
cases. A test strip that is as simple to read as a barcode, for example with a
Smartphone app, could be a solution to the problem. “Such a testing system
could prove beneficial in crisis zones, for instance places that have
experienced flooding or an earthquake. Emergency responders should be able to
test whether the drinking water in the area is dangerous for the people using
an easy, quick, accurate, and cheap method, which will then enable them to take
additional measures as necessary,” explains iGEM member Luzia Buchholz.