Sniffing out TB

Tuberculosis is virtually unheard of in the developed world. But in India, this highly infectious bacterial disease claims about a thousand lives every day—the highest in the world.

Tuberculosis is virtually unheard of in the developed world. But in India, this highly infectious bacterial disease claims about a thousand lives every day—the highest in the world. Two million new cases are detected every year and it’s also the foremost cause of death in the most productive age group, 15–45. This burden could be lessened by early detection and treatment. The disease is currently diagnosed by serological tests, which are expensive and ineffective, and also by sputum analysis.
A group of researchers at the New Delhi-based International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, led by Dr Ranjan Nanda, is developing a new method that will work in resource-poor conditions: an electronic nose, which will identify the disease through distinctive bio-markers in the breath of those it affects—specifically, through changes in seven molecules.

The research received a $950,000 boost this week, with grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada. That ought to help Dr Nanda’s team with its first task: developing and testing a prototype of the ‘nose’, which they envision as a battery-powered handheld device.

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Shruti Ravindran