Technion Team Takes Gold At International iGEM Conference

November 10, 2014 | The Technion Israel Institute of Technology took the gold medal at this year’s international iGEM, the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition. The Technion students created ‘Safie,’ a device that detects allergenic and harmful elements in food and water. The device is able to detect elements such as gluten, toxins, nuts, mercury and more, even when they are present in minimal concentrations. Using genetically engineered E coli bacteria, the toxins and other elements light up green when they are present in the food or beverage. The Technion team previously won the gold at iGEM in 2012 for their ‘Trojan Horse’ method of drug delivery.