SYFY Wire (August 6, 2022)

We’re paying attention to how smartphones, devices and apps can help us detect and reduce the spread of diseases. Enrique Valera, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois and colleagues have developed a device that clips onto a smartphone and can detect and analyze diseases in real time.  

The team used their device to detect the Zika virus, a disease transmitted by mosquitos. Read a summary of the report here. Most ways of detecting pathogens are complex and require specialized knowledge or equipment. Valera’s device is easy to use and self-contained. He hopes to be able to expand the device’s capabilities to detect other pathogens.