This meeting is part of our regular monthly series of Zoom Talks on aspects of Science, Medicine & Technology but is organised this month through the national office so that members of other u3as can attend. For this reason you'll need to register in advance in order to get the Zoom link, but it's still free to attend. Here's the booking link: Nanophotonic Devices for Healthcare Applications Tickets, Wed, Feb 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite

Low-cost and appropriate technologies for medical diagnostics and water quality monitoring

Abstract:

Biochemical tests are an essential and substantial activity in the NHS with an estimated 500 million tests performed every year in the UK alone. The demand for such tests is increasing rapidly and cannot be met by current technologies in the near future. Moreover, there is increasing drive to increase the speed and accessibility of biochemical testing by transferring diagnostic services from centralised, hospital laboratories to the point-of-care e.g. at the bedside, GP surgery or even in the home.

Meeting these challenges requires the invention of new diagnostic technology capable of detecting multiple disease biomarkers in a sample, at very low concentrations, that is simple, quick to use, and economic. Recent progress towards a novel photonic biosensor, fabricated using the same technology developed for the semiconductor industry, and which has the potential to meet all of these requirements will be discussed.

While this technology has been developed to address healthcare challenges facing the UK, similar technologies could also play a significant role in the lives of people all over the world. However, there are countless examples where science and technology fail to respond effectively to the most pressing problems faced in low and middle income countries (LMICs). This raises an important question: How do scientists design and build technologies that respond to the specific challenges facing people in LMICs to bring shared benefits and not greater global inequality? The second part of the talk, will review work within remote communities in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu with whom we have been collaborating to develop appropriate analytical technologies to protect against diseases caused by drinking contaminated water.

Biography:

Steve Johnson is Professor of Physics in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology at the University of York where he also leads the Biomedical Technologies research theme within the York Biomedical Research Institute. While his early research career explored the development of solid state, nanoelectronic devices, he is today better known for his interdisciplinary research into novel technologies that integrate solid state devices e.g. electronic and photonic devices with biological components. He has a particular interest in the translation of these technologies for applications in healthcare, particularly medical diagnostics and co-founded a spin-out company, Phorest Diagnostics, to commercialise his research. He recently established the York Equitable Technology Lab which brings scientists and engineers together with social scientists, civil society and public, private and third-sector organisations to explore new approaches to innovation that embed equity in technology development.