Health Diagnostics

Jacqueline Linnes of Purdue University in the U.S. will develop a paper-based diagnostic test that can detect HIV from a pinprick of blood for use in low-resource settings. They will optimize sample preparation by using a series of filters that isolate the virus from blood. They will then test whether wax can be used for heat-controllable valves to move fluid through a paper network to extract the viral RNA, perform an isothermal amplification reaction, and enable visual detection.

Laura Musselwhite of the Hospital de Câncer de Barretos in Brazil will develop a low-cost test for cervical cancer that women can easily perform at home even in low-resource settings. The test is based on a nitrocellulose strip coated in antibodies to detect the cancer-causing E6 protein produced by the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer. They will enroll 50 women attending their clinic including cervical cancer patients to provide samples for adapting the assay for optimal detection in urine and simplifying it for use in non-clinical settings.