Karen Wu of Lucerna, Inc. in the U.S. is developing an inexpensive, portable fluorescence-based device for the rapid detection of procalcitonin (PCT). PCT is a biomarker of early sepsis. The device will be easy-to-use and allow for timely treatment of neonatal sepsis, a major cause of infant mortality in developing countries. The technology used is a nanodevice which Lucerna has developed. This project is being funded by the Gates Foundation and is a Grand Challenges Explorations Round 6 winner, meaning that Wu and her team will receive $100,000 to further develop this technology.

Information for this post is from the Lucerna site. We first heard of this infant sepsis device through the Gates Grand Challenges Exploration listing.