DETECTION OF MALARIA INFECTION IN ERYTHROCYTES BY RAMAN MICRO-SPECTROSCOPY

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Malaria remains one of the largest public health problems accounting for nearly three million deaths a year in the world, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. In the absence of a truly effective malarial vaccine, it is critical that early stage detection efforts are prioritized [unreadable]especially if such a highly sensitive method can be implemented non-invasively. Near infrared (NIR) Raman spectroscopy potentially provides an excellent tool to probe malaria in vivo, given its promising track record in transcutaneous detection of blood analytes including glucose, creatinine and urea.