Breakthrough Winners 2024

SCIENCE BREAKTHROUGHS OF THE YEAR
1st PLACE 2024

Constadina Rogers - Breaking the Wall of Plastic Accumulation 

Constadina Rogers is tackling the environmental issue of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste from food and beverage packaging. By fusing a bacterial PET-degrading protein with a fungal-derived protein through protein engineering, the project enhances plastic degradation capabilities. This cost-effective and environmentally friendly biological recycling process aims to optimize the efficiency of PET degradation, addressing plastic pollution effectively.

SCIENCE BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR
2nd PLACE 2024
 

Pewee Kolubah - Breaking the Wall of Accessible Electricity

Pewee Kolubah is addressing global energy and water scarcity issues exacerbated by fossil fuel reliance and population growth. The solution involves bioelectrochemical technology integrated with 2D MXene. This technology harnesses microorganisms' metabolic pathways in wastewater to produce sustainable energy and treat wastewater. Pewee is focusing on designing 2D-MXene-based anodes and cathodes, integrating them into a bioelectrochemical for renewable energy production and simultaneous wastewater treatment

SCIENCE BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR
3rd PLACE 2024
 

Netanel Loyfer - Breaking the Wall of Cell-free DNA

Netanel Loyfer aims to detect cell death in distant tissues non-invasively by analyzing DNA methylation patterns in circulating cell-free DNA. Using a reference atlas, the tissue origin and quantity of these fragments are identified. This approach helps build an epigenetics platform for precision medicine, enhancing diagnostics through a detailed map of methylation signatures and a deconvolution algorithm for blood sample analysis.