Team:Edinburgh
Every three minutes, drugs take another life.
In Edinburgh, a city often dubbed "the drug capital of Europe", this is a problem very close to our hearts.
Thousands die each year from drugs which are contaminated with dangerous cutting agents or other more potent drugs.
A rise in accidental overdoses from users not knowing the purity of the drugs they take is causing hundreds of unnecessary deaths.
Knowing what is contained in the drugs could save many lives.
Reduce harm.
Save lives.
We are creating a cell- free paper-based biosensor that can tell a user exactly what is in the drugs they are taking.
Our biosensor will detect lethal contaminants and give a quantitative analysis of purity, red-lighting dangerously high purity levels.
Multiple tests will be integrated into one easy to use, portable and cheap biosensor. This summer we will focus on the development of three tests: Heroin Purity, PMA detection, DNP in Diet Pills.
Our driving
force
Our work is routed deeply in the world of the people we're seeking to help. We have researched extensively, ensuring the need for our project is strong. Our own prejudice does not drive us. Instead we are getting out there, experiencing what it is really like. At every opportunity we are engaging with users, getting to know their story.
We are exploring all angles of use for our device, national and international implementation, delving into regulations and policies, investigating the wider world and long term consequences of our device.