:Nasal Spray Nano Particles
Jordan Smelski
His story:
11-year-old Jordan Smelski was from Orlando. In the summer of 2014, Jordan and his family vacationed in Costa Rica. After swimming in a hot spring, he unknowingly contracted Naegleria fowleri. Within days, he developed headaches, neck stiffness, fever, and began experiencing severe symptoms. Despite being taken to the hospital, his condition quickly worsened. Jordan was eventually diagnosed with the amoeba and declared brain dead shortly after. He passed away early Tuesday morning, just days after exposure. His story is a heartbreaking reminder of the urgent need for awareness and protection against this deadly infection. Due to the fact, that this happened in our hometown, his story inspired us to create a prevention so that no family will ever have to go through what Jordan and his parents went through.
Nano Particles
Our nano-based nasal spray uses carbon nanotubes enclosed in graphene sheets to trap and block the amoeba before it can reach the brain. These tiny tube-shaped particles, only 0.2-0.5 nanometers wide, create a dense mesh-like barrier in the nasal cavity, acting like a microscopic spider web. When the amoeba enters the nose, it gets caught in this nano-mesh, preventing it from moving toward the olfactory nerve. The graphene coating strengthens the nanotubes and improves their ability to trap the amoeba, ensuring a physical blockade. BY forming this protective layer, the nanoparticles stop the infection at its entry point.
Amphotericin B
Ampthotericin is a powerful antifungal medication widely used to treat serious fungal infections and it has also shown effectiveness against brain-eating amoebas. Amphotericin B is encapsulated in nanotubes. Once the brain-eating amoeba is trapped in these nanotubes, the drug can effectively attack and kill the organism.
