Dasia Taylor was 17 and attending high school in Iowa City when she asked an uncomfortable question: how can an infection after surgery be detected in time in places without resources?
The smart sutures that already existed relied on electronic sensors connected to a mobile app, technology that was too expensive for the countries that need it most. Dasia looked for another way and discovered that beet juice changes color right at the pH level where an infection begins.
She tested ten thread materials before finding one made of cotton and polyester that held the dye well. When the pH rises, it changes from a bright red to a dark purple in a matter of minutes. Her project made her a finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, and today she is continuing the process of patenting her invention.
