Getting a head start on world-class healthcare research
Sarah Wu, a high school student from Brantford, Ont., poses with Massai warrior Ezekiel Santamu during a trip to Kenya last summer. The experience inspired her to develop a new testing method for malaria, which was partially researched at McMaster last month.
She hasn’t even finished high school yet, but Sarah Wu is already proud to call herself a McMaster researcher.
The 16-year-old from Brantford, Ont. recently took home the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Pinnacle “Best-in-Fair” award at the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair. Remarkably, it was the first such contest she had ever entered.
“I feel so blessed to have met everyone at McMaster,” says Wu, who worked with assistant professor David Latulippe (Chemical Engineering) and graduate student Jieting Shang on the project. “David was very informative and helpful, but he also gave me a lot of freedom to make my own choices in the lab.”
Her award-winning project (which outlines a more cost-effective test for malaria) was inspired by a trip to Enelerai, Kenya with Free the Children last summer. During her time abroad, Wu observed how current testing methods are either too costly, require a trained technician, or in some cases, both.
Searching for a way to make testing more accessible, she devised a system that combines existing technologies from around the world into a new rapid diagnostic test. The project was finally realized during a March Break learning placement at McMaster, thanks to a number of 12-hour days in the lab.
“Sarah actually reached out to a scientist in Hong Kong to obtain the aptamer and protein sample needed for this project,” says Latulippe. “She had the vision to combine all of these existing pieces into a new test for malaria, which is pretty remarkable for a 16-year-old. There were many times when she could have said, ‘this is overwhelming.’ But she persevered.”
Unlike current forms of antibody testing, which can be very costly and delicate, Wu used an aptamer-based detection scheme to identify a specific protein in the human body that is an indicator of malaria infection. A sample from the patient is placed on a paper filter, and then incubated with a solution containing aptamer-nanoparticle conjugates.
A positive test, as shown by a series of red dots on the paper strip, indicates that the protein is present in a patient – i.e. the dangerous species of Plasmodium falciparum malaria is present. The process is simple, affordable and highly effective, and the potential for misdiagnosis is also very low.
“The simplicity, along with the minimal equipment and training required and increased shelf life, present a potential solution for widespread distribution in developing nations,” she explains. “Increased access to accurate diagnostics can contribute to the fight against malaria, helping to manage cases and preventing drug resistance.”
Long-term plans for the test are uncertain. But in the meantime, Wu says she’d like to organize a student trip to Kenya to help inspire others at her high school.
“Just to see a different part of the world was really eye-opening,” she says of the three-week trip abroad. “All of the kids there are so happy, and you really get the sense that it’s a close-knit community.”
The accolades haven’t stopped yet, either. Last week at McMaster Innovation Park, Wu also took home second place at the Sanofi BioGENEius competition (Southwestern Ontario), and won the award for “best commercialization” related to a project.
She’ll present her award-winning concept at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, taking place in Phoenix, Arizona next month.
