Team Wins Gold Medal in World Genetic Engineering Competition

A team of University of Texas at Dallas students earned international recognition for a discovery that may one day help make fragile messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines more stable.

The Comets, whose work focused on tardigrades and the microscopic invertebrates’ stress-protective proteins, won a gold medal and were among four nominated teams for Best Biomanufacturing Project at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Grand Jamboree, which was held Oct. 28-31 in Paris.

The annual competition features more than 10,000 undergraduates from more than 40 countries. IGEM is dedicated to advancing the field of synthetic biology and building the workforce through education and competition. Synthetic biology combines biology and engineering to design and build new biological parts, devices and systems.

The students said iGEM gave them an opportunity to participate in research and learn about synthetic biology.

“To work on research that has a real-life application was really meaningful because it shows that research expands outside of the laboratory,” said Amanda Le, a neuroscience and business administration senior.

Biomedical engineering senior Namyuktha Prakash, biochemistry senior Maria Shaikh, healthcare studies senior Aaliyah Sherfuddin and biochemistry junior Selina Wang were also on the team. Shaikh, Sherfuddin and Wang, who are National Merit Scholars, and Prakash also are part of the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College.

In January the students began working on the project, which they chose out of concern about cold-storage issues for COVID-19 vaccines. Current mRNA vaccines, including ones for COVID-19, require ultra-cold storage to remain stable because mRNA breaks down easily.

“Dr. Dong and I are superproud of our excellent team, who showcased what UT Dallas can do at the global stage.”

Dr. P.C. Dave P. Dingal, assistant professor of bioengineering

The students cloned the genes of 10 tardigrade proteins, purified the proteins and mixed each one with model RNA molecules. Next, they heated the samples at different temperatures and measured how much RNA degraded to see whether any of the tardigrade proteins could help stabilize RNA.

The process involved learning how to conduct experiments in a wet lab and troubleshoot when experiments did not work. The students created a webpage about the project, taRNAdigrada.

“The team worked really, really, really hard,” said Dr. Xintong Dong, assistant professor of biological sciences and one of the team’s two faculty advisors.

Dong, who competed with an iGEM team as a University of Wisconsin undergraduate, dedicated space in her lab, where she said the team put in long hours.

“I came in one day, and my graduate student said the iGEM team had been there until 4 a.m.,” she said. “I’m really glad that hard work came to fruition.”

At the jamboree, teams gave oral presentations and answered questions about their research.

“It was a transformative experience in terms of developing our research and science communication skills because we had to present what we were working on to an audience,” Prakash said.

She said working on the project influenced her decision to continue her education at UT Dallas by pursuing a graduate degree through a fast-track program.

Likewise, the project helped Shaikh decide on her next step: pursuing a research-focused career path.

“The project really showed me that research and academia is where I belong,” Shaikh said. “At the jamboree, as I talked to fellow researchers, heard speeches from world experts and defended my work before the panel of judges, all I could think was, ‘Wow, I’ve finally found my people.’”

The project affirmed Wang’s focus on a science, technology, engineering or math career.

“The whole process, especially going to the jamboree and seeing all of the cool projects, really made me sure that’s what I want to do in the future,” she said.

Sherfuddin, whose goal is to become a physician, said the iGEM experience also helped her solidify her next steps after graduation.

“Working on the iGEM project pushed me to want to pursue an MD/MPH program focusing on human outcomes from research innovations such as ours,” she said, referring to programs in which students can earn Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees.

Dr. P.C. Dave P. Dingal, assistant professor of bioengineering and faculty advisor to the team, said he was excited to form the iGEM team at UT Dallas, which had not participated in the competition since 2014.

Dingal said the endeavor included support from the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College, the Office of Research and Innovation, the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.

“IGEM is an unparalleled platform for experiential, project-based learning that allows young scientists to develop technical and soft skills,” Dingal said. “Dr. Dong and I are superproud of our excellent team, who showcased what UT Dallas can do at the global stage.”

Applications are open for students who want to compete in 2026.