He shared some of his most recent research on March 19 at the College of Science’s Science @ Breakfast lecture series.
“A lot of what I do is really driven by things that I believe shouldn’t be a problem anymore,” he explains. “So, for example, if we look at a disease like tuberculosis, which affects 10 million people annually. That’s a disease that’s completely curable… . it’s 2025; why is that still a problem?”
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common diseases worldwide, and despite being curable, there are extreme barriers to screening and diagnosis that disproportionately affect socioeconomically marginalized populations. Current diagnostic methods can take over a month to yield results and are difficult to implement in areas with limited healthcare resources.
Recognizing the severity of this issue on a global scale, Mohanty has been making strides in TB diagnostic methods. In a creative collaboration between his areas of expertise in materials science and chemistry, Mohanty is developing nanotubes using materials like titanium dioxide which bind to volatile biomarkers in a patient’s breath, allowing for the detection of tuberculosis with extreme accuracy.
The method utilizes breath samples which are incredibly efficient to collect when compared to sputum samples required for current diagnostics tests. Most importantly, these nanotube sensors are portable, low-cost and can provide patients with results in under 20 minutes.
In developing this technology, Mohanty emphasized the importance of understanding stakeholder needs and working with them to develop effective solutions. “When you talk about stakeholders, it's everybody. It's your physician, patient, nurse, healthcare consultant — even your lab technician who has to process all the samples. How do they feel about it? What do they need to make it successful? This needs to inform your design or product.”
By creating a diagnostic method that is accessible, affordable and efficient, Mohantry hopes to make a dent in the striking number of global TB cases that remain undiagnosed and untreated. But he emphasizes that innovation is only one piece of the puzzle. More important than developing the revolutionary diagnostic tool is ensuring that it can be produced and implemented at a global scale and can reach the communities who need it most.
“This problem is not going to be solved by some guy with a cool widget that is a great diagnostic tool that can be distributed. It's going to be solved by a partnership with healthcare managers and hospitals, your stakeholders. This is not going to be solved by a single person.”
In his lecture, hosted by the Natural History Museum of Utah, Mohanty stressed that the widespread nature of TB and similar diseases demands more than just clever designs. Instead, lasting change will be accomplished through systemic changes, moral leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare, governmental and scientific sectors.
By Julia St. Andre