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Grand Challenges is a family of initiatives fostering innovation to solve key global health and development problems. Each initiative is an experiment in the use of challenges to focus innovation on making an impact. Individual challenges address some of the same problems, but from differing perspectives.

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A Portable Brain Scanner with Telemonitoring Platform for Detection and Management of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Abhijit DasArogya Medtech Pvt. LtdKolkata, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
7 Mar 2018

Abhijit Das of Arogya Medtech Pvt. Ltd. in India will develop a device - CEREBROS - that is a modular unit combining electroencephalography (EEG) and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) together with an Internet of Things (IoT) component incorporating a telemonitoring platform. This system enables continuous remote monitoring of cerebral hypoxia and seizures and early detection and management of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) at point-of-care. The device is in the form of a wearable cap for neonates. It will also include a multivariate classifier incorporating quantitative EEG metrics and cerebral oximetry metrics, which will identify disease-specific patterns that can be presented remotely by a neonatologist simultaneously in voice, text, pictures, or video or animations. The device could be provided, through both public and private care providers, under an affordable rental or pay-per-use model. The device provides an easy-to-use alternative to structural imaging (CT or MRI) that has better sensitivity and specificity, especially for neonates or infants less than 2 years old.

High-Throughput Electrical Detection of Malaria Infection in Single RBCs under Low Parasite Density

Gautam SoniRaman Research InstituteBangalore, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
12 Feb 2018

Gautam V. Soni from Raman Research Institute in India will develop a Resistive Pulse Technique (RPT) for malaria detection based on the established fact that the Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (RBCs) are about 3 to 10 times stiffer than the normal RBCs, depending on the stage of parasite growth. Therefore, flow velocities of stiffer (infected) and softer (normal) RBCs can be easily distinguished in a simple fluidic channel using RPT. In this project, the difference in these flow velocities would be electrically measured across a spatial constriction to accurately determine the infected stage of individual RBCs. Various aspects of the device would be optimized for high throughput detection, ultimately yielding a portable electrical device capable of high sensitivity detection of one infected RBC per microliter of blood. They will also identify a clinical partner to work with infected blood samples from patients.

Rapid, Personalized Susceptibility Test to Accelerate Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology Study in Remote Settings

Taslimarif SaiyedCentre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP)Bangalore, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
24 Jan 2018

Taslimarif Saiyed from Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) in India will develop microfluidics-based pH sensors for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detection. AMR is big healthcare challenge worldwide and particularly in India. Susceptibility assays are vital to study the emergence of new AMR strains in a community or geography, especially during epidemics. The proposed system - Rapid Personalized Antibiotic Susceptibility Assay (r-PASA) - is a DNA-based assay with pH sensors on a microfluidics platform. Microfluidic channels were chosen due to their suitability for rapid bacterial growth, and the reaction mechanism involves the accumulation of organic acids as a function of bacterial growth that changes the pH of the growth medium. Since testing pH at microliter (<5 μl) or nanoliter volumes is challenging, the device includes a DNA sensor based on a mismatched duplex such that acidic pH brings two flourophores' close together for a Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) reaction that can be monitored by fluorescence imaging using a reader integrated into the device. The microfluidic channels use various classes of commonly used antibiotics in different concentrations to ascertain and quantify resistance at the same time.

Acousta - A Doppler for Fetal Monitoring

Balaji TeegalaBRUN Health Pvt. Ltd.Hyderabad, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
28 Nov 2017

Balaji Teegala from BRUN Health Pvt. Ltd. in India will develop a Doppler stethoscope - Acousta - that acts both as a standard annular Y-shaped stethoscope and as a Doppler stethoscope. The problem in auscultating the fetal heart to identify birth asphyxia among other fetal morbidities is the difficulty, skill, and training needed while using a regular stethoscope. This is mitigated by active sensing systems like the fetal Doppler systems or cardiotocographs. However, these systems are burdensome to carry in addition to a stethoscope. Alternatively, electronic stethoscopes give clarity during auscultation but are predominantly targeted at specialties like cardiology, while still being passive systems in their approach to sensing physiology. Acousta is a combinatorial approach using both these systems.

Glucometer Used by Diabetics for Economical HIV Viral Loading Testing in Resource Limited Settings

Pratap MukhopadhyayaWobble Base Bioresearch Pvt. LtdSurat, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
27 Nov 2017

Pratap Mukhopadhyaya from Wobble Base Bioresearch Pvt. Ltd. in India will develop a glucometer to detect HIV RNA. The existing major methodologies for viral load quantitation require sophisticated infrastructure and reagents that generate high priced tests (>50 USD per test) that are often not feasible for use in resource limited settings. The new assay involves making an HIV cDNA-DNA-invertase complex, which is added to sucrose solution to generate glucose through hydrolysis by the invertase enzyme that is detected using the glucometer. The amount of glucose detected is a function of HIV copy number.

Achieving Optimal Growth and Development Among Infants and Children in Low-Resource Settings

Nita BhandariSociety for Applied StudiesNew Delhi, , India
Grand Challenges India
All Children Thriving
21 Apr 2017

The project intends to identify challenges to accelerate linear growth among infants/children in low-income settings and strategies to overcome them. The study proposes delivery of an integrated package of interventions (nutritional, environmental, WASH and care) during pregnancy and early childhood in a community-based model. Using stratified randomization, the proposal has been designed in a manner that permits the assessment of the impact of these intervention packages when delivered synergistically or independently on the growth and development of the young child.

Novel Tool for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance among Urinary Tract Care Infections Seen in Primary Care Settings

Sudeshna AdakOmiX Research and Diagnostics Laboratories Pvt Ltd.Bangalore, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
21 Apr 2017

Sudeshna Adak from OmiX Research and Diagnostics Laboratories Pvt Ltd. In India will develop a point-of-care AMR test and polymer card combined with a phone based surveillance system to detect and track AMR molecular signatures in primary care settings or in settings where access to AMR testing is currently unavailable. They will demonstrate a proof-of-concept for detection of AMR in urinary tract infections (UTI), establish and validate a 5-gene AMR signature assay in the proposed AMR test.

miRNAs as Evaluation Biomarker of Tuberculosis Treatment Response

Asif MohammedInternational Centre for Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyNew Delhi, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
21 Apr 2017

Asif Mohammed from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in India will identify miRNA patterns as potential biomarkers as per Receiver Operating Characteristics, to identify quantitative patterns of circulating human miRNAs which can be used as early biomarkers to predict outcome of the anti-TB drug therapy. They will follow-up patients during their course of treatment with first line anti-TB drugs, and will isolate, sequence, identify and quantitate circulating miRNAs in sputum and plasma of these individuals at one month, two month and 6/9 months of treatment.

Enhancing Nutritional Security of Pregnant Women, Infants and Young Children in Rural Households of Tamil Nadu, India Through Agricultural Intervention

Chandrababu RanganathanCentre for Plant Molecular Biology and BiotechnologyCoimbatore, , India
Grand Challenges India
All Children Thriving
31 Mar 2017

The project study proposes the development of nutrient rich genotypes in rice possessing the key nutraceuticals and therapeutic clues through which required nutrients such as iron and zinc for pregnant women and infants of rural households will be supplemented sustainably. Any improved line of rice will be compared with the traditional parents and other popularly eaten white rice varieties for its nutritional content and therapeutic values. The improved lines of rice having nutritive, anti-diabetic and therapeutic characters may be registered.

Neobreathe

Avijit BansalWindmill Health Technologies Private LimitedNew Delhi, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
15 Apr 2013

Avijit Bansal and Ayesha Chaudhary of Windmill Health Technologies in India will develop an easy-to-use device to enable front-line health workers to more successfully resuscitate newborns. The current bag and mask device is inefficient and requires two trained personnel who are often not available. They have designed a foot operated manual resuscitator that also reports real-time performance, and requires only one trained operator. They will measure performance parameters of the prototype to generate evidence to support progress into clinical trials. This grant was selected through India's IKP Knowledge Park and their IKP- GCE program.

TB Nanodots: Transdermal Controlled Release of TB Drugs

Rohit SrivastavaIndian Institute of Technology BombayMumbai, , India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
12 Apr 2013

Rohit Srivastava and Aravind Kumar of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in India will develop a microneedle-based drug delivery system for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Current treatment involves frequent administration of combinations of toxic drugs, which often leads to non-compliance necessitating further complex treatments. They have designed a photo-thermosensitive nanocarrier based on liposomes that can release the drugs transdermally via microneedles upon exposure to sunlight or LED in a controlled manner, bypassing the need for multiple administrations and reducing toxic side effects. They will fabricate the microneedles, evaluate drug release dynamics using light, and test drug bioavailability in vivo using a small animal model. This grant was selected through India's IKP Knowledge Park and their IKP-GCE program.

Virosomes Producing Virus-Like Particles in situ for Dengue Prophylaxis

Vishwas JoshiSeagull BioSolutionsPune, Maharashtra, India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
9 Apr 2013

Vishwas Joshi and colleagues from Seagull BioSolutions in India will develop a vaccine against the dengue virus by engineering a defective version of the measles virus to express dengue virus proteins (a so-called virosome), which can induce protective immunity. There is currently no approved vaccine that protects against dengue infection, which causes disease in 50-100 million people annually, some of which are life threatening. They will test the efficacy of the virosomes to prevent dengue virus infection by using them to vaccinate mice and analyzing immunity upon viral exposure. This grant was selected through India's IKP Knowledge Park and their IKP-GCE program.

Accurate, Accelerated, and Affordable Kit to Predict Preterm Birth and Postpartum Recovery

Ashish GangulyCSIR-Institute of Microbial TechnologyChandigarh, Punjab, India
Grand Challenges India
India-GCE
5 Apr 2013

Ashish Ganguly and colleagues from the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology in India will make an affordable paper-based diagnostic to quickly and precisely measure plasma gelsolin levels in expectant mothers to help predict premature delivery and postpartum recovery, thereby reducing new mother and child mortality rates. They will determine the value of plasma gelsolin levels for predicting postpartum-related problems using patient sampling and an animal model of preterm birth. They will also develop the diagnostic by identifying a plasma gelsolin binding peptide that will be used to coat an optimized paper strip, along with a cell phone based read-out to enable remote analysis by a centralized unit. This grant was selected through India's IKP Knowledge Park and their IKP-GCE program.

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