Tuberculosis is curable, but only if it’s caught early. Many people assume a chest X-ray can detect it. In reality, X-rays only show lung damage. They can’t confirm whether it’s tuberculosis or something else. To make a diagnosis, doctors need to find the bacteria behind the disease. That means laboratory work: analyzing sputum under a microscope, running cultures, or using PCR tests. These methods are accurate, but they take time, trained staff, and complex equipment - things that aren’t always available in remote regions. This is the challenge Kazakh scientist Damira Kanayeva is trying to solve. With her team, she’s developing portable devices that could detect tuberculosis in just minutes. Tools that could be used in villages, small clinics, or anywhere modern laboratories are out of reach. Her goal is to bring fast, reliable diagnosis closer to people and give them a better chance at timely treatment.
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