New grant award allows development of device to detect eye infections

Dr Parwez Hossain, from the School of Medicine, has been awarded an Ophthalmology research grant of £60K to enable the development of a microchip diagnostic device. The device will allow sight threatening eye infections to be detected at the patient’s bedside within minutes, compared to days or weeks with the current process. Correctly identifying infections rapidly will help prevent the misuse of antibiotics.

The grant is funded by The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and sponsored by Royal Blind, a charity based in Scotland. Dr Hossain acknowledged the support of NAMRIP, MRC Confidence in Concept and the Gift of Sight in enabling preliminary research in this area, which this latest award builds on.

Dr Hossain's NAMRIP pump priming project was entitled ‘Microbial Pathogen Detection in Ocular Infection Using Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometry (MIFC)’ and included team members Dr Maria del Mar Cendra,  Dr Daniel Spencer, Dr Myron Christodoulides, and Professor Hywel Morgan.