Merck Prize boosts work on air sensor for pandemic pathogens

"There is a need for viral-detecting devices for public indoor air spaces as we enter an era when pandemics will likely become more common," says Emory chemist Khalid Salaita.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, awarded its 2023 Future Insight Prize to Khalid Salaita, professor of chemistry at Emory University. The award comes with $540,000 to fund the next phase of research into an air sensor that can continuously monitor indoor spaces for pathogens that can cause pandemics. 

“I’m extremely thankful to receive the Future Insight Prize as this enables us to continue our path toward an early-warning system for emerging threats,” Salaita says. “Our research sets the stage for fully automated detection of airborne pathogens without human intervention or sample processing.” 

The Merck Future Insight Prize recognizes groundbreaking ideas to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges in health, nutrition and energy. 

The Salaita lab’s sensor, a rolling micro-motor called “Rolosense,” holds the potential to help mitigate, or even prevent, a pandemic. 

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