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- Lambert High School entered the 2025 iGEM competition with a CRISPR-based project targeting Lyme disease. The team, based in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, was made up of teenage genetic engineers. Team members featured included Sean Lee, co-captain Avani Karthik, senior Claire Lee, and Abhinav Karthik.
- The students wanted to compete at the highest level of synthetic biology. Their objective was to prove they could develop something world-class while competing against university and high-school teams from countries including China, which has become a major biotechnology power.
- Synthetic biology allows scientists to engineer biological systems for specific purposes. The students cited golden rice, genetically modified to contain additional vitamins and become more nutritious, as an example. They described the possibilities as extensive, provided the work remained ethically acceptable.
- The team's CRISPR approach relied on guide RNA to identify genetic targets. When the guide RNA recognizes its intended target, the associated protein becomes activated and can cut surrounding genetic material. This collateral cutting mechanism was central to their proposed diagnostic technique.
- Lyme disease affects nearly half a million Americans annually. The disease is transmitted through bites from infected ticks carrying bacteria from the genus Borrelia. Cases have doubled over the preceding decade, according to the report.
- Untreated Lyme disease can cause serious complications. These include arthritis, nerve damage, and heart problems, making early detection particularly important.
- One of the biggest challenges with Lyme disease is diagnosing it early. Existing tests can struggle to identify infections during the first two weeks, precisely when treatment is easiest. Some patients consequently remain undiagnosed for years.
- The team highlighted a patient who had gone 15 years without receiving a Lyme diagnosis. This example illustrated the human consequences of inadequate diagnostic testing and the need for more sensitive early-detection methods.
- Lambert's proposed diagnostic test focused on a protein generated by the infection. Using CRISPR and simulated blood serum, the students attempted to target specific DNA strands associated with the protein, cut away surrounding genetic material, and expose the target for detection.
- The intended diagnostic product was a simple kit-style test. The students wanted to make Lyme detection possible through a strip resembling a COVID-19 or pregnancy test rather than relying exclusively on existing laboratory testing procedures.
- The team reported detecting Lyme infection as early as two days after infection. They presented this as a substantial improvement over existing tests, which can struggle during the first two weeks. These were preliminary laboratory findings, not an established clinical diagnostic capability.
- The students also attempted to develop a CRISPR-based treatment for Lyme disease. Standard treatment relies on antibiotics, but Lambert's approach sought to use CRISPR to target the bacteria responsible for the infection.
- Developing the treatment required additional computational work. The students built software to model how CRISPR could best be used against the disease-causing bacteria.
- The team identified lipid nanoparticles as the intended delivery method for its CRISPR treatment. Stanford professor Drew Endy specifically asked how the treatment would be delivered, and the students explained their proposed approach.
- Senior Claire Lee reported promising early results from the treatment research. The team's broader ambition was to help doctors identify and potentially treat Lyme disease using technology developed in their high-school laboratory.
- The students consulted professors and other stakeholders before committing to the project. Several experts initially warned that the problem was extremely ambitious and might not be feasible for a high-school team.
- Biotechnology teacher Kate Scherer supported the project despite its risks. She described it as a high-risk, high-reward undertaking and admitted that she initially could not imagine the proposed approach working. She nevertheless agreed to help the students pursue it.
- Scherer said the students' scientific ability frequently exceeded her own ability to keep up with them. She attributed some of their creativity to their willingness to think beyond conventional boundaries.
- Lambert's biotechnology laboratory was equipped to a college-level standard. Its facilities were funded through taxpayer money and private donations, giving the students access to resources beyond those normally associated with a public high-school science classroom.
- Lambert operates in one of Georgia's most affluent and academically high-achieving school districts. The school population is majority Asian American, and the iGEM team itself was entirely Asian American, with members described as children of immigrants.
- The iGEM program has become a significant attraction for families considering where to live. Parents reportedly move into the district specifically because they want their children to have access to biotechnology education and an opportunity to compete for a place on the team. Some families come from outside Georgia and even from other countries.
- The team has an exceptionally competitive selection process. Approximately 100 students compete for around 10 places each year. Applicants must submit a project proposal, take a test, and participate in an interview.
- Engineering and coding experience can improve an applicant's chances. Students must also be prepared to commit substantial time and effort, including extremely long working hours.
- The iGEM laboratory coat has become a coveted symbol of achievement at Lambert. The school's competitive culture extends beyond biotechnology: Lambert is also described as a major sporting school, with the iGEM program representing another prestigious achievement for students.
- Lambert had already established itself internationally through an earlier iGEM victory. The school won the competition's grand prize in 2022, under a program created by biotechnology educator Janet Standeven.
- Janet Standeven previously taught at Lambert and established its iGEM program. She later became head of iGEM's international high-school division and continued working to expand synthetic biology education among younger students.
- Standeven left Lambert approximately three years before the report after securing federal funding to expand synthetic biology education across Georgia. Her objective was to use Georgia as an initial testing ground before taking the program to high schools more widely.
- Federal funding for the Georgia education initiative was cut by the Trump administration. The administration claimed the funding fell under diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities.
- A judge temporarily restored the funding after it was cut. However, Standeven said she remained uncertain whether the funding would continue beyond 2026.
- Standeven described the funding decision as devastating and angering. She argued that synthetic biology education at the high-school level was necessary and that students should have opportunities to participate in advanced biotechnology research.
- The United States has significantly fewer high-school participants in iGEM than Asia. The figures presented at the 2025 competition were 14 high-school iGEM teams in the United States compared with 120 teams in Asia.
- Drew Endy warned that America's leadership in biotechnology was slipping. A Stanford professor and one of iGEM's founders, Endy had warned Congress about the country's declining position while China increasingly treated synthetic biology as a national priority.
- Endy described the shortage of American young participants in iGEM as a profound concern. He argued that the next generation of biotechnology leadership needed a strong American presence and that young American scientists should have opportunities to become international leaders in the field.
- iGEM originated in the early 2000s through Endy's work at MIT. While teaching genetic engineering, he found that the students most interested in working with him were approximately 18 years old. Their competitive enthusiasm helped inspire the creation of iGEM.
- The competition grew alongside the biotechnology industry's expansion. What began as an opportunity for young people interested in genetic engineering developed into a major international synthetic biology competition.
- The 2025 iGEM competition took place in Paris in late October. More than 400 teams participated, approximately one-third of them high-school teams.
- The competition brought together projects addressing a wide range of scientific problems. Avani Karthik, attending iGEM for her third year, said almost every project impressed her.
- Great Bay, a team from Shenzhen, China, developed an enzyme intended to treat indoor mold. Its project was particularly notable to the Lambert students because its booth was located only a short distance away from theirs.
- Other high-school projects included crops designed to grow on Mars and eye drops intended to treat cataracts. These projects illustrated the range of problems young synthetic biologists were attempting to solve.
- Lambert's project was judged on more than its laboratory results. The competition also considered the team's software, website, presentation, and ability to explain the practical implications of its scientific work.
- The students presented their Lyme research publicly and underwent private questioning by judges. They explained their laboratory methods, the proposed CRISPR delivery system, and the potential real-world applications of their work.
- The final month before the competition involved intensive preparation. The students worked through all-nighters to complete their research results, finish software development, and build a website explaining the project to the judges.
- The team's ambition was to finish among the world's top 10 high-school teams. Abhinav Karthik expressed hope that Lambert could reach the top 10 out of approximately 140 competing teams, while acknowledging that the outcome depended on the quality of competing projects.
- The students were motivated by both scientific impact and competition. One team member openly acknowledged enjoying the challenge of winning, while the broader team believed its research could potentially help millions of people and save lives.
- Drew Endy gave Lambert's diagnostic research a particularly strong endorsement. He said the students appeared to have developed a better Lyme diagnostic than anything he had previously seen, subject to further testing.
- Endy believed the diagnostic concept could have applications beyond Lyme disease. He pointed out that the underlying approach might potentially identify other substances or targets detectable in blood, making the technology relevant to a much wider range of diagnostic problems.
- Scientists interviewed for the report considered the project potentially groundbreaking, but emphasized the need for further testing. The students' laboratory results represented an important first step, not proof that a clinically usable diagnostic or treatment was ready.
- Lambert received five nominations at the 2025 competition but initially lost several awards. The team repeatedly watched other competitors receive recognition before its own winning category was announced.
- China's Great Bay won the 2025 iGEM grand prize. Lambert did not repeat its 2022 grand-prize victory, despite its confidence in the scientific quality of its Lyme project.
- Lambert won the award for Best Software Tool. This gave the school an international competition victory and recognized one of the important technical components of its project.
- Lambert finished among the world's top 10 high-school teams. It was the only American school to achieve a high-school top-10 finish in 2025.
- The composition of the high-school top 10 highlighted China's strong competitive presence. The final group consisted of seven teams from China, one from South Korea, one from Taiwan, and Lambert High School from the United States.