Project Details
Early Career
Status: Funded - Open
Rapid point-of-care electrochemical sensor for neonatal sepsis in Nigeria
Summary
BACKGROUND: Neonatal sepsis (NS) is a significant health problem worldwide which results in millions of infections annually and contributes substantially to mortality in newborns. In countries such as those in sub-Saharan Africa, the lack of access to diagnostic facilities results in delayed initiation of therapy and high mortality in first days of life. GAP: Despite the significant disease burden of NS, there is currently no fast, low cost and accurate diagnostic device for early disease detection. The current methods for diagnosing sepsis include blood culture and immunoassays which require specialized facilities that leads to empirical antibiotic use and poor clinical outcomes. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesis that nanomaterial modified electrochemical biosensor for detection of procalcitonin (PCT) biomarker will enable rapid, sensitive and accurate detection of NS. By facilitating signal transduction using advanced nanostructures, the device will offer comparable results to conventional laboratory tests while being deployable in resource constrained environment. METHODS: This work will focus on fabricating a portable biosensor incorporating hydrogen-substituted graphdiyne nanostructured electrodes for sensitive detection of PCT. The device will be analytically validated using controlled samples and subsequently evaluated in a clinical setting in Nigeria using neonatal serum samples to assess diagnostic accuracy and feasibility at point of care. RESULTS: Pending. IMPACT: This project will advance a novel on-site diagnostic platform that can transform NS detection. Its successful implementation could serve as a model for developing similar rapid diagnostics for other infectious diseases. Website Link: www.profpandalab.comOptional/Additional Comments: This project brings together a multidisciplinary team across United States and Nigeria to address a critical gap in neonatal care. The collaboration ensures that technology is developed with real-world clinical needs in mind and is adaptable for use in healthcare.