The main reason for Sangeetha to work so closely with this is due to the sharp rise in cancer rates in developing nations, which accounts to 70 percent of cancer mortality worldwide. Early detection has also been proven to improve outcomes, but screening approaches such as mammograms and colonoscopy that are used in the developed world are too costly to afford.

In the original version of this technology, these peptides were detected using an instrument called a mass spectrometer, which analyzes the molecular makeup of a sample.

However, these instruments are very tough to find and not readily available in the developing countries. So the researchers adapted the particles that could be analyzed on paper, by using an approach known as a lateral flow assay-- the same procedure used in pregnancy tests.

Bhatia says that, "This is a new idea to create an excreted biomarker instead of relying on what the body gives you." She further adds that, "To prove this approach is really going to be a useful diagnostic, the next step is to test it in patient populations."

Bhatia and her team's research had other Indians who backed her idea. The team won a grant from MIT's Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, which was funded by Indian-American tech entrepreneur Desh Deshpande. It was also backed by Indian bio-tech entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
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