Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC partnered)

Detecting the presence of an infectious disease like tuberculosis is important to stop the infection from spreading to family members or others that are in close contact with the patient. The test used in a doctor's office is very simple and inexpensive but will only detect the incidence of TB when the patient is infectious. Proposed is the creation of a simple blood glucose type test for TB that can be accomplished at a clinic with little cost and training - ideal for the developing world and areas in Canada that are resource poor. This method relies upon an electrochemical detection of specific sequences of DNA that are characteristic of the TB pathogen. In addition, this method will enable the identification of drug resistant strains of TB (MDR-TB), and critically important area in regions of Canada with a large influx of immigrant from regions where MDR-TB is known to be prevalent.