A new program may help identify patients with Lyme disease, according to an article published in The Tribune. Despite the increasing prevalence of Lyme disease, there are currently no vaccines to combat the disease. However, at the Air Force Academy, cadets have begun to participate in the new International Genetic Engineering Machine (iGEM) contest to advance Lyme disease detection, prevention, and treatment. Experts explained that service members are often at increased risk of Lyme disease because of the environments in which they frequently work, where long grass or wooded areas are common. Recently, cadets developed the novel LymeAID patch using tiny gold particles coated with aptamers and the salp-12 protein that may be capable of luring in Lyme disease–causing bacteria. The cadets highlighted that the aptamers would be attracted to the bacteria and allow for the gold particles to unite, thereby changing the color of the patch in the presence of Lyme disease–causing bacteria. Although they have faced some difficulties demonstrating their new concept, the cadets hope their new LymeAID patch can someday help limit the spread of Lyme disease–causing bacteria to other parts of the body.