Nuttada Panpradist, a bioengineering PhD scholar, and other students at the University of Washington just recently received a grant for developing a portable HIV test—the OLA-SIMPLE. This hand-held device works similarly to a pregnancy test and delivers results within the hour. Although this card-sized test may not seem impressive, creating this system’s complex process of isolating HIV virus from RNA in the blood takes many hours and requires wide range of resources.
“Very much looking like a pregnancy test…there will be lines and you can know the results right away”—Nuttada Panpradist
HIV is a virus that can lead to a life-threatening even more syndrome: AIDS. Although a cure currently does not exist, HIV/AIDS can be contained. On a global scale, 36.7 million people are living with HIV/AIDS but only 40% are aware of their status and unknowingly spreading the virus. This epidemic is claiming millions of children and adults every year; the only way to decrease that number is to increase testing, reduce stigma and prevent the exponential expansion of this disease. The majority of people affected by this infection reside in low- or average-income countries in the Sub-Saharan region and Panpradist’s innovation offers an inexpensive step towards eliminating this deadly virus.
Standard antiretroviral therapy (ART) that may be used to alleviate and control this virus costs up to $700 USD per person, requires advanced facilities and may not be easily available or accessible in developing regions. By completing their project, Nuttada and her highly qualified team will be able to distribute the affordable OLA-SIMPLE and improve the lives of many all around the world, effectively contributing to the fight against HIV/AIDS. In addition, the OLA-SIMPLE may be modified to identify a myriad of diseases and viruses such as Alzheimer’s and hepatitis.
