George Whitesides: The overall world is less stable. We will be in a more secure world if everyone shares the benefits of the first world.
Chemist George Whitesides of Harvard University is talking about a new, more affordable diagnostic test – useful to detect diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria – which kill millions each year in the developing world. The test would cost only pennies to make, and it’s made of paper.
George Whitesides: We are developing a series of technologies that have the characteristics that they try to provide high performance, specifically in diagnostics, at very low cost.
The diagnostic test is about the size of a postage stamp, and Whitesides said it works kind of like a pregnancy test.
George Whitesides: You put a drop of blood or a drop of urine or some other body fluid on it, and you let a certain amount of molecular chemistry take place, and parts of it change color.
Microscopic channels in the paper route blood or urine into testing wells that change colors when disease is present. Whitesides added that Africa might see the first of these tests to detect liver failure by the end of 2009. He said tests for major infectious diseases like AIDS are underway.
George Whitesides: We’re just at the beginning of this process.
Our thanks to George Whitesides.
George Whitesides is a professor of chemistry at Harvard University, and won the Inaugural Dreyfus Prize in Chemical Sciences in 2009.
Dear Reader, Congratulations. I am surprised that with a specific point to the ability to detect liver disease no reference was made to the largest blood born virus on the planet; Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C victims out number HIV Patients, 30 million, world infected – HIV compared to 200 million world infected – HCV
The virus “Hepatitis C Virus or HCV” and the diseases it does cause are directly affecting the liver. Being the number one cause of liver transplants in Europe and the U.S.A. Hep C disserves much greater research dollars attention by medical researchers than it receives. Case in point, this outstanding discovery with lack of focus to where it can do the most good. The disease remains true to it’s tag line: The Silent Killer.
Please include Hepatitis C in your thoughts when speaking of “pandemic” diseases and the benefits possible for this breakthrough diagnostic test.
May is world Hepatitis awareness month. May 19 is world Hepatitis Awareness Day.
With Respect,
Dear Nancy,
Thank you for your comments; you’re absolutely correct. One of the possible applications being developed for the paper diagnostic by Whitesides is to detect the widespread and devastating disease Hepatitis C. My apologies for the omission. This test is still in its early phases and more news will come on it as it’s developed more fully.
– Jorge
Thank you for your reply Jorge.
With Respect,
I want to know if it has been approved and by who.. And also want to know of the disadvantages . i will be glad if i get reply before Monday 15 November,2009.. thank u..