Israeli students have impressed judges at a prestigious science competition, after engineering a bacteria that can halt hair loss during chemotherapy.

Last month the team of twelve undergraduate students from the Technion synthetic biology team took off for the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, held in Paris. 

The group had been working on engineering a bacteria capable of producing an industrial substance to deter hair loss, which can be added to regular shampoos and other hair care products.

This year’s team, which included a dozen students from across four faculties, also received a special “Impact” grant awarded to a slim number of the teams based on their “projected benefits to humanity”.

A Technion undergraduate at work ahead of the competition (iGEM Technion)

A Technion undergraduate at work ahead of the competition (iGEM Technion)

One of the most common cancer treatments, chemotherapy damages healthy, living tissues and often causes hair loss, among other severe side effects.

"In the scope of the iGEM competition, it was important for our team to develop a synthetic biology project with a strong focus on the mutual benefit of working with the community and the people we hope to impact," Technion student Nova Noiman explained.

The Technion team set to compete in iGEM worked on proving the feasibility of lab production of Decursin, a hair loss deterrent, and its possible incorporation into preparations including shampoo, cream, and more. 

Decursin is a major component of the Angelica Gigas Nakai (AGN) root extract which is already known to suppress inflammation, repress cancer, and prevent apoptosis – or programmed cell death, which includes hair cells.

Today, the molecule is produced from a rare seasonal flower exclusively grown in China and Korea. However, the Technion team's project aimed at engineering the bacteria in a cheap, environmentally friendly, and efficient way.

A petri-dish containing the engineered bacteria (iGEM Technion)

A petri-dish containing the engineered bacteria (iGEM Technion)

The prestigious iGEM competition was founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2004 to give young students the chance to experience research in the world of synthetic biology. 

Over 300 teams took part in this year's competition, including three Israeli teams – one from the Technion, one from Tel Aviv University, and one from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. 

The first Israeli iGEM team was established at the Technion in 2012 under the guidance of Biotechnology Professor Roee Amit who still guides its annual team to this day.

Technion teams have previously won multiple gold medals in the competition, but Professor Amit was keen to stress the long-term value of the projects.

“It is important to understand that some of the developments by the Technion teams have already been turned into applied and commercial tracks and have a real impact in the world,” he explained.

Indeed, the university's 2019 team “developed an innovative technology for the production of honey without bees using a genetically engineered bacterium. This technology allows the honey's texture and taste to be precisely designed, and it is also a platform for simulating other natural metabolic processes."

Their discovery went on to help found Koracell Ltd, an Israeli food tech start-up company currently aiming to get "bee-free" honey on the market within the coming years.