Help Us Revolutionize Sepsis Detection with Synthetic Biology

Sepsis kills over 11 million people every year. Our team at Ohio State is developing a real-time biosensor to track procalcitonin — a key biomarker for bacterial infection — enabling faster, more precise treatment decisions that can save lives.

We’re part of a global synthetic biology competition called iGEM, which we’ve proudly competed in every year for the past five years. Each year, we build a brand-new project from scratch — and each year, we must secure new funding to make it happen. See last year’s project here! (https://2024.igem.wiki/ohiostate/)

This year, we’re raising $30,000 to:

• Begin our wet lab research this summer
• Send our students to Paris to present at the international iGEM Giant Jamboree — a world stage for undergraduate research
• Promote synthetic biology within Ohio State and within the Columbus Community

We are a team of 21 undergraduate students from across the university — from business to microbiology, computer science engineering, and more. We proudly partner with Ohio State’s Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering to bring our project to life. 

Beyond the lab, we’re passionate about bringing synthetic biology to the Columbus community through educational outreach — inspiring future scientists through hands-on engagement.