Florida State University’s International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team won a gold medal at an annual international research symposium in synthetic biology.

The team’s work addressed a rare metabolic disorder called trimethylaminuria (TMAU), which causes a strong body odor released through sweat, breath and urine. The team sought to create a breathalyzer device that could guide a patient’s treatment by monitoring the level of trimethylamine (TMA), the molecule that causes the odor, in the breath.”

FSU is competing at the highest levels — we’re among the best teams in the world,” said IPRD-supported scientist, Dr. Cesar Rodriguez, a co-principal investigator for the FSU iGEM team.