Tec students win gold for initiative against kidney disease

Students from Tecnológico de Monterrey’s State of Mexico campus (CEM) have won a gold medal and several award nominations at the SynBio Festival. The event brings together the international community to share advances and discuss the future of synthetic biology.

The iGEM TecCEM team, made up of students from the State of Mexico campus, participated in the Design League competition and presented their NephroProt project during the festival. This initiative aims to detect early kidney damage due to diabetes, known as Diabetic Nephropathy.

“The gold medal and the recognitions received are a great honor and a motivation to continue our work with even greater energy, taking synthetic biology to new horizons,” said Karen Marín, student and Project Manager of the iGEM TecCEM team.

“The gold medal and the recognitions received are a great honor and a motivation to continue our work with even greater energy.” - Karen Marín

The team explained that their project, NephroProt, stands out due to its focus on improving patients’ quality of life through early diagnosis, addressing one of the most complex and common health problems in modern society.

Their performance while developing the project led them to receive nominations in Best Integrated Human Practices; Entrepreneurial Approach; Partnerships & Collaboration; and the Grand Prize Winner categories, as well as the gold medal.

“NephroProt is the result of multidisciplinary work and our team’s passion for making a tangible difference in the world,” Karen shared, underscoring the importance of collaboration and innovation in the field of biomedicine.

All you need to know about the Synthetic Biology Festival

The iGEM Design League competition is held annually at different venues. This year, 26 international teams participated, including four teams from Tecnológico de Monterrey: Monterrey Campus (MTY), Mexico City Campus (CCM), Querétaro Campus (QRO), and State of Mexico Campus (CEM).

The contest invites different teams to focus on solving problems faced by their community in fields such as the environment, human health, and food security. The competition takes place at the SynBio Festival.

“The SynBio Festival is a unique platform to showcase the work of young researchers and promote dialog about how synthetic biology can contribute to solving major challenges in Latin and Ibero-America,” said Beatriz Pacheco, organism engineer at Ginko Bioworks, one of the main collaborators and sponsors of the competition.

Looking to the future

The State of Mexico campus team shared that preparations are already underway for their participation in the 2025 Grand Jamboree in Paris.

The iGEM Grand Jamboree competition is the organization’s largest annual event, for presenting projects developed by undergraduate university students, as well as high school and graduate students from around the world.

“This award not only validates our work so far, but also opens doors for future collaborations and developments, as well as propelling us on the path to the next step, the Grand Jamboree,” said Ana Sofía Centeno, 2nd Project Manager of the Team, who was excited by the possibilities this award represents for her career and future projects.

With NephroProt, the iGEM TecCEM team has not only made a mark on the SynBio Festival, but also hopes to position itself and stand out as a leader in creating innovative health solutions through synthetic biology at the next competition.

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