Texas iGEM Team 2026

Engineering Probiotic Chassis to Target Acute Malnutrition

Discovery Lab Track

Shivansh Shukla

Myreen Ahsan

Myreen Ahsan - Founder & VP of Texas iGEM

Myreen Ahsan - Founder & VP of Texas iGEM

Nikita Vijay

The Discovery Lab Track is our hands-on, in-person iGEM pathway for students ready to move from ideas into real laboratory research. Team members work together to design and develop a synthetic biology project, learn essential wet lab techniques, practice biosafety and responsible research, and prepare for iGEM competition milestones.

Livsharan Puchakayala

Neel Heblikar

A remote-friendly pathway for students interested in bioinformatics, AI, coding, data analysis, writing, design, entrepreneurship, outreach, and leadership. Innovation Track members contribute to the Texas iGEM project beyond the wet lab while building skills in computational biology, science communication, teamwork, and real-world STEM innovation.

Jiaqi (Cassie) Li

Isabel Vaz

Myreen Ahsan

Raisha Chakrabarti

Arjun Popuri

Ganeev Jaswal

Alyssa Janco

Ishita Shrivastava

Zahra Ansari

Innovation Track

Raghav Pandurangi

Project Overview

Malnutrition remains one of the most pressing global health challenges, affecting millions of children and adults worldwide. Our iGEM team is leveraging synthetic biology to address this problem at its root by engineering beneficial gut bacteria to enhance nutritional health and support healthy growth. We are developing a probiotic-based therapeutic platform using Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, a well-characterized probiotic chassis, engineered to express an enzyme derived from Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. This enzyme is designed to modulate a key biological pathway involved in satiation, helping improve nutrient utilization and metabolic health. By harnessing the power of the gut microbiome, our approach aims to activate growth- and immune-supporting pathways that are often compromised in malnourished individuals. Beyond competing on the global iGEM stage, our team is committed to advancing a scalable and accessible synthetic biology solution with the potential to improve the lives of vulnerable populations around the world.

Connect

Join us in inspiring youth through STEM leadership.

Contact

Support

info@texasigem.org

512-555-0198

© 2026. All rights reserved. Texas iGEM Collective is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations may be tax-deductible.