Amazing work from our researchers in the Department of Chemistry!

A recent study from Limpopo, South Africa, suggests that the scent produced by the skin of malaria-infected individuals may offer a new way to detect the disease. By using special wearable bands, researchers collected skin odours (called volatile organic compounds or VOCs) from people with and without malaria. The analysis showed that certain odours, including those related to rancid smells and mosquito attraction, were more common in malaria-positive individuals. Interestingly, a new compound, (E)-2-octen-1-ol, was linked to malaria infections, even in cases where blood tests might miss the disease. This research could pave the way for more accurate, non-invasive malaria detection in the future.

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