Unmet Medical Need: Given that effective intervention of infectious disease requires accurate diagnosis, and that the probability of success diminishes over time, clinicians and public health practitioners desperately need new tests that enable rapid, efficient differential diagnosis of infectious diseases. 

Envisioned Healthcare Product: Researchers have developed a single-molecule detection platform that will sense one-in-a-billion concentrations of viral or bacterial DNA within minutes by employing carbon nanotubes to directly detect the DNA, permitting label-free detection with high-specificity. More accurate and timely diagnosis enables quicker and more appropriate/customized treatment, does not require purification, amplification, or labeling, and allows for real-time, actionable data to make appropriate clinical decisions at the point of care. 

Stage of Development:  The first application focuses on detection of pulmonary pathogens.

Collaborative Research Team: Kenneth Shepard, PhD and W. Ian Lipkin, MD

Funding Cycle: 2012-2013