A saliva test for soldiers, athletes, and others aims to predict performance

You’re due to run a grueling road race in a few hours. Do you have the stuff to make it across the finish line or will you crash before the end? Or maybe you’ve got a ballet recital or a poker tournament or a big speech—some demanding physical or cognitive challenge is looming, and you need to know that your brain and body are up to it. What if, instead of relying on a vague gut feeling, you could turn to cold, hard data?

That’s the goal of a multi-institutional, cross-disciplinary project led by Alexander A. Green, a Boston University College of Engineering associate professor of biomedical engineering. With up to $17.7 million in federal funds over four years, Green and his colleagues plan to develop a fast, portable saliva test that will analyze an assortment of biomarkers associated with performance on challenging tasks. It could be used to test readiness and the likelihood of success—with results in just 30 minutes.

Read more about how Keith Pardee, associate professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, is collaborating with scientists at Boston University and GE HealthCare to develop the saliva test that could ultimately have a variety of uses in civilian homes and clinics

Read full story from Boston University's The Brink