Team:Jefferson VA SciCOS

Background

Established in 1985, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is the result of a partnership of businesses and schools created to improve education in science, mathematics, and technology. Representatives from business and industry and staff of the Fairfax County Public Schools worked together in curriculum and facilities development for the school. In recent years, local business leaders and Jefferson parents have formed the Jefferson Partnership Fund to help raise money to maintain and equip labs and classrooms in the school. As the Governor's School for Science and Technology in Northern Virginia, the school is also supported by the Virginia Department of Education. In addition to providing a specialized education for selected students in Fairfax County, Jefferson also serves other school districts including Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William counties as well as the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.

Abstract

According to the CDC, Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne disease in the United States and can cause severe chronic symptoms such as permanent paraplegia, poly neuropathy, and severe joint pain. Early diagnosis and treatment is the most effective way to prevent long-term illness. However, the primary diagnostic method is serological tests that measure the antibodies made by the body in response to the pathogen, which can only be detected many weeks after the initial infection. Therefore, when Lyme disease treatment is most effective, diagnosis is least effective.

The aim of this project is to create a new Lyme disease diagnostic tool that directly and specifically detect the disease-causing pathogen B. burgdorferi. We would use phiBB-1 to transform B. burgdorferi with a plasmid for generation of a biomarker.

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             B. blarge