Jack Andraka

Jack Thomas Andraka ( born January 8, 1997, Maryland ) is an American inventor and cancer researcher. He won in 2012 at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the largest research competition in the world, the Gordon E. Moore Award with a method for the diagnosis of various cancers. The prize is worth $ 75,000. On February 12, 2013 Andraka was invited as an honorary guest of the President at the Congress 's State of the Nation.

Invention

Andrakas invention enables a fast, accurate and affordable diagnosis of pancreatic, lung or ovarian cancer. The test is based on the mode of action of diabetes test strips; It has according to an antigen, the protein mesothelin, a tumor marker, in a patient's blood, which occurs at a corresponding disease in blood and urine (see, antigen shedding).

Looking for support Andraka contacted about 200 different scientists, to him the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine gave the opportunity to work in the holidays on his project.