Purdue Researcher Nets $100K Grant
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Purdue University researcher has been named a winner in the Grand Challenges Explorations initiative. Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Jackie Linnes and her team will receive $100,000 to continue work on developing a paper-based technology to detect HIV from finger-prick blood samples.
Linnes’ research group will receive the funding over 18 months. The initiative is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Purdue says the winning researchers had to demonstrate "potentially groundbreaking concepts in one of five critical global health and development topic areas."
Linnes’ goal is for the technology to use a system of channels and valves made of wax and printed on sheets of paper that can perform the reactions needed to detect HIV. Linnes says if successful, each test could cost less than $2.
Purdue says this testing procedure will be helpful to regions of the world without ready access to medical facilities.