A TEAM of students from Dundee University has been crowned European champions in a prestigious international competition designed to advance science and education.
The 10 students are the first from Scotland to win the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) European Jamboree, after developing a technique to use bacteria to clean up ponds choked with algae.
The group engineered a harmless "toxi-mop" microbe that eats algae when it appears in water, but is harmless to anything else.
The students also came up with a device dubbed a "mop-topus" that can be housed permanently at a lake or pond to predict when algal blooms will occur and the bacteria can be introduced.
The students also received an additional award for Best Presentation at the event, which featured around 60 other student teams from universities across Europe, and will now go forward to the World Final in Boston on November 1.
Team member Ewa Grabowiecka said: "We're absolutely delighted to have won this competition because we were up against very good teams from around Europe.
"What was really exciting about this project was that it was the result of work by people from multiple disciples, such as mathematicians, biologists and computer programmers."
Staff adviser Professor Tracy Palmer congratulated the winning team, adding: "We are very proud of the students."
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