Bryanston High School learner Keerthana Nair (17) has begun her journey towards helping to heal the world, having returned from presenting her innovation at the International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology in Tunisia from March 22 – 28.
“My project was essentially about finding a very fast, effective and simple way to diagnose and test for Tuberculosis (TB),” Keerthana reflected on the presentation which scored her in the top 10 out of 1000 participants. “It’s a hand-held device: you blow into it, and if a specific reaction occurs when you blow in, it means that the TB bacteria is present.
“The bacteria produce certain compounds called volatile organic compounds (VOC),” Keerthana explained, displaying her insight on identifying TB. “If we can test for these VOCs, then that means we can find the bacteria.”
For Keerthana, the opportunity to be around young people who have so many ideas that can benefit the global community, and are doing so much that can help the people of this world, was a mind-blowing experience.
“It went to show that people of my generation are striving to make the world a better place,” she said on April 18 after school.
Keerthana knows what she hopes to study beyond matriculating at the end of the year.
“I want to study medicine at either Wits or the University of Pretoria, hopefully with a bursary from somewhere, and continue my research on this, specifically,” she concluded.
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