Lambert High School's Lyme Disease Project: High School Students Making a Difference

When most people think about high school science projects, they probably picture baking soda volcanoes or simple chemistry experiments. However, students at Lambert High School in Forsyth County, Georgia, took their ideas further by developing a new way to detect and treat Lyme disease. Their project, called LANCET, was created for the International Genetically Engineered Machine, or iGEM, competition and has gained worldwide attention. 

Lyme disease is one of the most commonly spread diseases by ticks in the United States. According to the Lambert iGEM team, nearly 476,000 people are estimated to become infected each year, but many cases go undiagnosed due to outdated testing methods that are not effective in the first few weeks of infection (Lambert-GA, 2025). 

Since early treatment is crucial for preventing health problems, finding a faster way to diagnose the disease could help many people. The Lambert students decided to tackle this issue using CRISPR technology, a tool that allows scientists to target specific genetic material. Instead of waiting for the body to produce antibodies, their diagnostic system looks for a Lyme disease protein called CspZ, which remains in the bloodstream during the early stages of infection (Lambert-GA, 2025). Their testing showed that their system could potentially detect Lyme disease much earlier than current methods. 

The project attempted to extend beyond diagnosis. The students also explored using CRISPR technology as a possible treatment for Lyme disease by targeting the bacteria that causes the infection. Although this idea is still in its early stages and would require much more research before it could be used on patients, it shows how inventive and ambitious the team was. Their goal was not only to identify the disease but also to improve how it could be treated (Whitaker et al., 2025). 

The team's hard work paid off at the 2025 iGEM competition in Paris. Competing against more than 400 teams from around the world, Lambert earned a Gold Medal, finished in the top ten high school teams globally, and won the award for Best Software Tool (Lambert-GA, 2025). 

Figure 1. A blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), the primary carrier of Lyme disease in the eastern United States, attached to human skin. This species can transmit the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

Their success even caught the attention of CBS's 60 Minutes, which featured the students and their research. During the interview, experts explained that while the project is still a proof of concept, it has the potential to influence future medical research (Whitaker et al., 2025). The Lambert High School Lyme disease project shows that there are no limits to making an impact in the world. 

Even though more testing is needed before their ideas could become medical products, their work demonstrates how young scientists can help solve important global challenges. Their project is an inspiring example of what students can achieve when given the chance to think creatively and pursue meaningful research.

Written by Priyanshi Jain at Incisionary

References

Lambert-GA. (2025). LANCET: A novel diagnostic and therapeutic combating Lyme disease. iGEM 2025. https://2025.igem.wiki/lambert-ga/

Whitaker, B., Chasan, A., Schuster, H., & Turcotte, S. (2025, November 30). Lyme disease often goes undetected when it's most treatable. These teens are working to change that. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teenage-students-lyme-disease-advancement-60-minutes/

Blacklegged tick attached to human skin [Photograph]. (2026) Personal collection.