Anti-tank missile detector joins fight against malaria

Date:
July 17, 2014

Source:
Monash University

Summary:
State-of-the-art military hardware could soon fight malaria, one of the most deadly diseases on the planet. Researchers have used an anti-tank Javelin missile detector, more commonly used in warfare to detect the enemy, in a new test to rapidly identify malaria parasites in blood. The technique is based on Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which provides information on how molecules vibrate.

Exerpt:
Researchers at Monash University and the University of Melbourne have used an anti-tank Javelin missile detector, more commonly used in warfare to detect the enemy, in a new test to rapidly identify malaria parasites in blood.
Scientists say the novel idea, published in the journal Analyst, could set a new gold standard for malaria testing.
The technique is based on Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which provides information on how molecules vibrate.

Full Article/Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140717095120.htm