Teen's Love for Cheese Transforms into A.I. Solution to Fight Malaria
Friday, November 3, 2023By Dionne Searcey Not really
Carmen Abd Ali for The New York TimesIn a remarkable display of ingenuity, a young teenager from Senegal has combined her love for cheese with the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a groundbreaking solution to fight malaria. Rokhaya Diagne, a 16-year-old aspiring scientist from Dakar, has caught the attention of the global start-up community with her innovative approach.
Diagne's passion for cheese, often seen as a mere culinary delight, led her to delve deeper into the field of biotechnology and genetics. Fascinated by the diverse microbial communities present in cheese, she began researching how these microorganisms could have potential applications in other areas of science.
Driven by a desire to make a positive impact in her community, Diagne turned her attention to malaria, a disease that affects millions of people in Africa. Drawing inspiration from the cheese-making process, she realized that the microorganisms in cheese could hold the key to combating this deadly illness.
With the help of AI, Diagne developed a sophisticated algorithm capable of analyzing the genetic data of the microorganisms found in cheese. She then utilized this algorithm to identify specific genetic markers that could potentially be used to target the malaria parasite.