Teens may have found a new way to detect Lyme disease | 60 Minutes Archive
In a Nutshell
Lambert High School students developed a CRISPR-based test that detects Lyme disease in just two days versus the current two-week standard, with potential for a simple strip test and targeted treatment using the same technology. Their iGEM team placed in the global high school top 10—the only US team to do so—while China dominated with seven of the top 10 spots. The project highlights America’s shrinking lead in biotech as US federal funding for synthetic biology education was cut, while China made it a national priority with 120 high school iGEM teams versus 14 in the US.
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60 Minutes profile of teenagers from Lambert High School in suburban Atlanta who may have found a better way to detect and treat Lyme disease, which affects nearly half a million Americans annually. The students use CRISPR, the revolutionary gene editing technique, to compete at iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine), a science competition in Paris. The team competes against teams from China, which is becoming the rising power in biotechnology.
In Lambert High School's lab, Shawn Lee and classmates function as teenage genetic engineers manipulating the building blocks of life. The process involves moving samples into mixes that contain everything needed to amplify DNA. The iGEM team's project involves mapping where Lyme is most prevalent. Senior Avani Karthik, also a team captain, explains their novel CRISPR detection method: creating a guide RNA that, when recognized, activates a protein that collaterally cleaves or cuts everything around it. The work involves synthetic biology, with examples like golden rice engineered to have specific vitamins to make it more nutrient dense. The endless possibilities of synthetic biology exist as long as work remains ethically correct.
Lyme disease cases have doubled over the last decade. The teens targeted finding better detection and treatment methods, which have eluded adult scientists for decades. Lyme is transmitted by infected ticks and can cause arthritis, nerve damage, and heart problems if left untreated. A major problem is the lack of early diagnosis, with some people going years without proper identification - one person went 15 years without diagnosis. Current tests struggle to detect Lyme in the first two weeks when treatment is easiest.
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