[Unpad Media Channel] The student team of the Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Universitas Padjadjaran wins a gold medal at the World Invention Creativity Olympic (WICO) in Seoul, South Korea, July 23rd-24th, 2024.
The student team consists of Faris Hernando Reviansyah and Azzahra Delvyra from the Faculty of Dentistry, also Prisilia Dita S, Fahmi Nur A, and Adil Abdul Rauf from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The team is under the supervision of a professor of Unpad Muhammad Yusuf, Ph.D., Dr. Veni Takarini, drg., M.Kes., and Dr. Slamet Usman Ismanto, M.Si.
The student project that gained a gold medal is titled “Screen Printed Electrode (SPE) for Oral Cancer Early Diagnosis (SPEED): A Novel Method For Oral Cancer Detection Using Saliva as Biomarker”.
In the project, the team initiates the development of Screen Printed Electrodes (SPE) which can be used to detect oral cavity cancer using only a saliva sample.
The SPE sensor operates based on an electrochemical immunosensor by detecting analyte components present in saliva. This project aims to develop an early detection tool for clinical signs of oral cancer and support a more specific and practical diagnosis of oral cancer using a non-invasive method.
The idea for an oral cancer detection tool using saliva samples came from students of the Faculty of Dentistry at Unpad. They combined the physiological principles of saliva in the mouth by measuring the amount of secreted saliva, and then calculating the concentration of analytes in the saliva.
“We from the Faculty of Dentistry focus on the theoretical aspects, while those from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MIPA) concentrate on the practical workings and chemical calculations,” said Nando the team leader.
Nando also said that the tool is still in its early stages and needs further development and testing. “We are still in the early stages, so the tool is very sensitive at this point, and we have not yet tested it on human samples,” he added.
In the future, the team will also work on improving the accuracy of the tool. It is hoped that the tool can be mass-produced to assist medical teams in diagnosing oral cancer more easily.
This innovation project is also supported by Universitas Padjadjaran under the guidance of the Director of Student Affairs and Alumni Relations Dr. Eng. Boy Yoseph Cahya Sunan Sakti Syah Alam, S.T.,M.T., the executive boards of the Faculty of Dentistry, namely Dean of Faculty of Dentistry Dr. Dudi Aripin, drg.,Sp.KG(K)., the Vice-Dean for Learning, Student Affairs, and Research Dr. Sri Susilawati, drg.,M.Kes, also the Chair of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Medicine Dr. dr. Lia Gardenia Partakusuma, Sp.PK (K), MM, MARS, FAMM. (art/SA)*
