Four University of California-Irvine materials science and engineering researchers will receive $1.3 million from the National Science Foundation for work that could be used to develop lung disease treatments.
The team is working on a nanotechnology-based optical sensor that can detect trace levels of infection in a small sample of breath.
Possible applications for the research include a breath analysis device to detect and monitor chronic lung illnesses, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders, among other maladies.
The researchers are at the “basic science” level, with a prototype the next possible step.
UCI said results may also have application for measuring environmental conditions—harmful airborne agents, for instance—and gastrointestinal disorders, including monitoring bacterial colonies in the stomach.
