High school student, Temple Douglas has answered the way to detect Lyme Disease early. Douglas was attending a summer internship at George Mason University when she one day suggested to the researchers working on a new form of nanotechnology to test it on Lyme Disease. Tiny nanoparticles developed by the George Mason scientists trap and measure markers for the disease found in very low concentrations in body fluids. The nanoparticles find the tiniest traces missed by most diagnostic tests.
This concept is revolutionary. The test is as simple as mixing a solution with a body fluid sample. With this version, the test can be performed in the doctor’s office or right at home. Douglas had assisted in the research while getting her undergraduate degree at Princeton University. She is now a PHD candidate in biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech and is now researching cancer cells. “I want my research to help people out,” she said. If not for Douglas, this Lyme test wouldn’t have been achieved.
