A team of young researchers from the city have bagged a gold medal in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, 2020. A project that entailed detecting malaria using a cost-effective tool helped 14 researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER) - Pune win the top medal in the competition. The researchers developed a kit consisting of short protein sequences, which was capable of being used as an oral medicine, thus preventing the spread of malaria among the population. A software with over 95 per cent accuracy was developed for this purpose. The team has been working for over eight months on this project and has brought the institute its first gold medal at the iGEM event, which was held virtually between November 13 and 22.
