Google Science Fair Teen Winner Created a Simple Way to Detect Ebola

Teens may change the world. A 16-year-old developed a simple way to detect the deadly Ebola virus, winning her the Google Science Fair.

The winner, Olivia Hallisey from the United States, created a fast, cheap and stable test for the Ebola virus that also gives easy-to-read results in less than 30 minutes. In fact, the test could actually show if someone has Ebola before they even start showing symptoms.

There are many issues with current Ebola tests. Detecting Ebola involves using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection kits. These kits cost about $1 each, and require complex instrumentation and trained medical professionals to administer.

The new test actually uses the typical components of the Ebola tests, which is made up of antibodies and chemicals that cause the test to change colors if the antibodies bind to Ebola proteins in the sample. However, in order to make the test stable, Hallisey used silk fibers to stabilize the chemicals on card stock, allowing them to sit at around room temperature for up to 3 weeks and still be effective. No refrigeration is required, unlike current Ebola tests.

Of course, the teen couldn't actually use actual samples of the Ebola virus for her test. Instead, she used proteins from the Ebola virus that the test then detected.

In theory, the new test could help those in countries where refrigeration isn't always possible. It certainly impressed the judges; Hallisey beat 22 other finalists for the grand prize in the Good Science Fair, taking home $50,000 in scholarship funding from Google.

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