Three Munster High students, who created an infection-detecting bandage, earned a spot in the Innovate WithIN business entrepreneurship state finals Friday at Butler University.

They qualified at a competition sponsored by the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest.

The team of Alexis Karahalios, Abigail Mena, and Jocelyn Aguirre created a project called Septo, a plant-based smart bandage designed to detect infections early, a release from the school district said.

Septo uses a plant powder pigment embedded in the bandage to change color when detecting early signs of infection. It offers a low-cost, non-invasive alternative to lab testing, making it a practical and accessible solution for patients and healthcare providers alike.

“We created Septo because we’ve seen how fast infections can turn dangerous,” said Karahalios. “Our goal is to give people a simple way to catch infections early — and maybe even save lives.”

Septo uses a plant powder pigment embedded in the bandage to change color when detecting early signs of infection as a practical alternative to lab testing.

It offers a low-cost, non-invasive alternative to lab testing.

The Munster team will compete for $25,000 in seed funding and a $10,000 scholarship to any college or university in the U.S.