Singapore, Sept. 15 -- Engineering researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ), in Australia, are developing a low-cost tool that could diagnose diseases like leukemia from a simple saliva sample.

The project, led byDr Dan YuanfromUQ's School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, aims to deliver a portable benchtop device that replaces blood tests for many diseases.

Dr Yuan said she wanted the device to be as simple as possible to help remove strain on hospital system.

"Saliva testing is fast, painless and suitable for at-home, large-scale screening as we have seen with COVID-19 and flu kits. The aim is to develop a test that avoids the need to come into hospital for a time-intensive check. The non-invasive nature of saliva-based ...