Setback powers Keralite scientist to dream better

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An at-home male fertility examine for merely Rs 10: That was the dream of three Keralite scientists who developed a ‘revolutionary’ bundle in 2014. But, as a result of it turned out Dr Kuruvilla Joseph, Dr Anjaly Vijayan and Dr Vidya Raj have been unable to indicate their breakthrough proper right into a viable product.   

The invention could not be commercialised because of the approved constraints involved: It was developed inside the laboratory of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), which is categorised as a fragile and strategic organisation. Kuruvilla and Vidya have been IIST college members and the bundle was Anjaly’s internship problem. An at-home male fertility examine bundle now costs between Rs 1,500-3,500.

“It was a crushing blow for us. It was probably the first-of-its-kind in the world and low production cost was the highlight,” recollects Anjaly. “It gave me a sort of realisation that I should look for a more inventor-friendly environment. Our idea could not see the light of day, but that was my ‘passport’ to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine,” talked about the 30-year-old.

Anjaly now heads a evaluation crew on the University of Pennsylvania’s (UPenn) School of Medicine that is engaged on an enhanced mannequin of a smartphone-based Covid examine that they’d developed earlier. “The technique is called micro bubbling. A person’s swab is placed on a microfluidic chip and its photograph is taken using a mobile app. The app will measure the size and number of micro-bubbles in the swab and determine the presence of a virus. The existing test is an antigen test and we are developing a more sensitive molecular device having an accuracy on par with the PCR test,” Anjaly talked about.

Smartphone-based diagnostic and medical methods have a robust future, she feels. “This is a cutting-edge technology that has tremendous potential in point-of-care diagnostics, especially in third-world countries, where sophisticated instruments are not easily accessible,” she says.

Anjaly, who hails from Alappuzha, left her full-time job on the School of Medicine ultimate yr to hitch Zoetis — beforehand Pfizer Animal Health — as a senior scientist. But she nonetheless volunteers on the UPenn crew
Science faculty college students in Kerala are largely unaware of the big evaluation potentialities in nations similar to the US, says Anjaly.

“Several universities abroad offer scholarships that cover education, health and living expenses. A good grade in the qualifying degree or publications and research experience with reputed labs will help secure them. Institutions like the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) have good labs,” she says.

Inventors do not face capital factors in nations similar to the US, in line with Anjaly.“If you have a good idea, companies are ready to fund even before the prototype stage. Industry will accord you all support, including good lab facilities,” says Anjaly, who may also be obsessive about travelling.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An at-home male fertility examine for merely Rs 10: That was the dream of three Keralite scientists who developed a ‘revolutionary’ bundle in 2014. But, as a result of it turned out Dr Kuruvilla Joseph, Dr Anjaly Vijayan and Dr Vidya Raj have been unable to indicate their breakthrough proper right into a viable product.   

The invention could not be commercialised because of the approved constraints involved: It was developed inside the laboratory of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), which is categorised as a fragile and strategic organisation. Kuruvilla and Vidya have been IIST college members and the bundle was Anjaly’s internship problem. An at-home male fertility examine bundle now costs between Rs 1,500-3,500.

“It was a crushing blow for us. It was probably the first-of-its-kind in the world and low production cost was the highlight,” recollects Anjaly. “It gave me a sort of realisation that I should look for a more inventor-friendly environment. Our idea could not see the light of day, but that was my ‘passport’ to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine,” talked about the 30-year-old.googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.present(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Anjaly now heads a evaluation crew on the University of Pennsylvania’s (UPenn) School of Medicine that is engaged on an enhanced mannequin of a smartphone-based Covid examine that they’d developed earlier. “The technique is called micro bubbling. A person’s swab is placed on a microfluidic chip and its photograph is taken using a mobile app. The app will measure the size and number of micro-bubbles in the swab and determine the presence of a virus. The existing test is an antigen test and we are developing a more sensitive molecular device having an accuracy on par with the PCR test,” Anjaly talked about.

Smartphone-based diagnostic and medical methods have a robust future, she feels. “This is a cutting-edge technology that has tremendous potential in point-of-care diagnostics, especially in third-world countries, where sophisticated instruments are not easily accessible,” she says.

Anjaly, who hails from Alappuzha, left her full-time job on the School of Medicine ultimate yr to hitch Zoetis — beforehand Pfizer Animal Health — as a senior scientist. But she nonetheless volunteers on the UPenn crew
Science faculty college students in Kerala are largely unaware of the big evaluation potentialities in nations similar to the US, says Anjaly.

“Several universities abroad offer scholarships that cover education, health and living expenses. A good grade in the qualifying degree or publications and research experience with reputed labs will help secure them. Institutions like the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) have good labs,” she says.

Inventors do not face capital factors in nations similar to the US, in line with Anjaly.“If you have a good idea, companies are ready to fund even before the prototype stage. Industry will accord you all support, including good lab facilities,” says Anjaly, who may also be obsessive about travelling.