organizations . Since its launch in 2021 , the Charitable Fund for Health has awarded nearly $ 3 million in grant funding for West Virginia-based nonprofit organizations .
WVU Engineer Revolutionizes Detection and Diagnosis of Tick-Borne Diseases
Soumya Srivastava , assistant professor , and students conduct research on tick-borne disease testing .
Soumya Srivastava , assistant professor at the Benjamin M . Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources , is developing a tool that quickly detects tick-borne diseases via a blood sample on a single chip . Srivastava ’ s model aims to detect disease within one to two weeks after the onset of an infection , whereas existing approaches rely on a symptom-based questionnaire — which might ask if a person has a fever or a rash — and tests that aren ’ t reliable until at least a few weeks after infection .
Srivastava ’ s project was recently awarded $ 1.2 million as a joint initiative between the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health .
Tick-borne pathogens can be passed to humans by the bite of infected ticks . Those ticks can carry bacteria , viruses or parasites . Srivastava ’ s efforts could produce a much-needed tool in the fight against tick-borne illnesses , which have ballooned in recent years . Lyme disease cases now hover around 30,000 a year in the U . S ., up from 22,000 in 2010 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“ Tick-borne disease can lead to serious morbidity and mortality , and it has increased significantly in the last 15-20 years in the U . S .,” Srivastava says . “ This project will create a rapid , sensitive and label-free diagnostic tool to improve early detection and their co-infections in order to reduce complications and
death from undiagnosed and latediagnosed disease .”
Srivastava ’ s research will involve the cross-disciplinary use of microfluidics , sensors and machine-learning . Those factors will enable improved diagnosis of tick-borne infections via a non-invasive , affordable , quick and user-friendly tool .
After collecting a blood sample from a patient , the tool will analyze the cells . All cells have a set of dielectric properties like permittivity and conductivity that are unique for cell membrane and cell cytoplasm , Srivastava explains . Those properties are heavily dependent on the state of the cell , such as whether it is normal or abnormal . The unique properties depend on the shape and size of the cell ; if the membrane is rough , smooth or leaky ; and what is happening within the cell interior .
“ We are basically measuring these properties on our microfluidic chip ,” she says . “ The electrical signal coming from the sensor will help us determine if there is an infection or not . This technique is known as dielectrophoresis .”
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