‘Blockchain for Impact’ (BFI), a global social impact organization dedicated to utilizing technology for innovative solutions in healthcare, has joined forces with the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai (IIT Chennai), to launch a groundbreaking Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) project. The collaboration, announced, involves a generous donation of USD 1 Million from BFI to IIT Chennai, aimed at acquiring advanced research technology and ensuring the efficient operation of the WBE study for the next two years.
Transformative Initiative for Community Health
Led by a team of distinguished researchers at IIT Chennai, this pioneering initiative seeks to revolutionize community health through a data-driven preventive healthcare approach using wastewater surveillance. The project’s significance lies in its potential to identify health risk patterns and provide timely alerts, thereby contributing to a proactive healthcare system.
CEO Dr. Gaurav Singh’s Perspective
Dr. Gaurav Singh, CEO of ‘Blockchain For Impact,’ expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “Under the banner of ‘Blockchain for Impact,’ we aim to act as catalysts, collaborating with partners to forge multi-sectoral alliances that deliver long-term, equitable medical preparedness mechanisms. Our collaboration with IIT Chennai for the wastewater epidemiology study is a step in the same direction. We are confident that this collaborative effort will foster innovation, drive positive change, and create a lasting impact on communities, aligning with our broader mission.”
State-of-the-Art Technology for Research
The cornerstone of this endeavour is the installation of the Thermo Scientific Q Exactive™ Plus Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap™ Mass Spectrometer at the IIT Chennai campus. This highly sensitive instrument will facilitate comprehensive surveys of wastewater samples, measuring chemical and biological molecules across the IIT Chennai campus and various locations in Chennai City.
Professor T. Pradeep’s Research Initiative
Professor T. Pradeep, Professor of Chemistry at IIT Chennai, shared insights into the research initiative, emphasizing its objective to understand the prevalence of circulating viruses and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The project initially focuses on universities, colleges, airports, hospitals, and targeted residential communities, gradually expanding to city and state-level wastewater sample collection.
Free-Access Online Dashboard for Data Sharing
IIT Chennai plans to share health-related data with sampled communities through a free-access online dashboard. The preliminary version displays the prevalence of hazardous Viral and Bacterial presence in wastewater samples from across the IIT Chennai campus, including the capacity to identify the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Future enhancements will involve additional PIN CODES and public health-related parameters.