Student Team Creates Test to Lessen Environmental Impact of Offshore Oil Extraction
A team of students at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar was awarded the Bronze Achievement Award at the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. This is the first time CMU-Q has fielded a team at the annual iGEM competition, which included 310 teams from 44 countries.
The team developed an easy, quick way for the oil industry to test for biofilm build-up in offshore pipelines. A rapid and reliable test could help the oil industry reduce its use of biocides, which would lessen the negative impact on the marine ecosystem.