PATHOGEN DETECTION
Identification of The Microscopic Killers
Innovators
ThermoFisher Scientific
ThermoFisher Scientific's mission was to allow customers to make the world healthy, clean and safe. Creation of products that were capable of rapidly detecting. Methods like qPCR were used to accurately identify pathogens. The technology allowed for reduced data analysis and errors. On their waterborne disease information page, "Delivering accurate, same-day results can greatly improve the ability to respond to contamination events in time to contain the health risk to the public."
Premier Biosoft
Premier Biosoft is a company that focues on aiding research in life sciences with software products. They created a computer program called AlleleID. The program could be used for detecting different organisms. It groups the sequences together with ClustalW and analyzes specific regions. It is then paired with qPCR and lets only the detection of one strain of pathogens.
ProteoSense
ProteoSense is developing a biosensor called RapidScan, a handheld device that allows for pathogen testing on foods when in or out of the lab. The real time pathogen test allows for food to be done quickly. The device enables less food waste, fresher produce, and longer shelf life. Detection of contamination reduces the impact to other products, safer for others, and saves money.
University of Technology Sydney
Noushin Nasiri is developing the world's smallest sensor that detects disease in a person's breath. She uses nanotechnology to recreate a "dog's nose" that is small enough to fit inside of a phone. Dr. Nasiri explains to ABC news that biomarkers are made from change and can be detected from a cheap noninvasive breath analysis. Currently only 17 diseases are detected from biomarkers in the human breath. She says that this procedure will allow for early detections of diseases before it spreads to blood. The sensor is made to be highly sensitive to the unique biomarker and calculate the concentration of it as well.
Sergio Mendes & University of Louisville Researchers
Professor Mendes and other University of Louisville researchers are working on early detection of the influenza virus that is increasing in the U.S. The goal is to make is small enough to become a handheld device used in and out of the lab. Their method is by obtaining and identifying molecules that are related to the flu, using an ultrathin film on glass, lasers and electroactive waveguides. This early detection allows the possibility of preventing an outbreak from happening. As of now, they are working on it for it to detect other viruses.
Brock University
Professor Feng Li and other Brock researchers created a device that detects diseases from DNA samples. It is cheap and accurate, making it ideal for developing countries. The tool consists of a strip of paper with circles projecting from the side connected to a glass slide. DNA is loaded onto the circles and move along the line. Different biomarker concentrations make different distances, like gel electrophoresis and could be analyzed by measuring the distance.
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
KAIST developed nanosensors that analyzes the molecules in breaths and any traces that are connected to diseases. Nanocatalysts were also designed to improve accuracy and performance. Breath sensors were difficult, so a new platform was developed for better sensitivity and selectively. Apoferritin proteins were used to surround the nanocatalyst particles. Sensors with the catalyst were able to detect biomarkers of one part per million in an exhale of 10-50 seconds.
