Caroline Barker
Dasia Taylor uses beet juice for her infection-detecting sutures.
Dasia Taylor didn’t think she was a “science person.” But when her teacher asked who would like to enter a science fair, Dasia, 17, raised her hand. She set out to create a new type of suture, a thread to stitch together a wound.
Dasia, who lives in Iowa, had read about “smart” sutures. These threads use tiny sensors to monitor how wounds are healing. But the technology is expensive. Dasia wanted to make an affordable version.
Dasia Taylor/Society for Science (Fake Skin); FOTOFOOD/Foodcollection/Getty Images (Beet)
Here’s how the stitches changed when they became as acidic as an infected wound might be.
Sutures dyed with beet juice change color at different pH levels. Dasia tested this on samples.
When skin becomes infected, it becomes less acidic, or contains weaker acid. Dasia learned that the color of beet juice can reveal an acid’s strength. She designed sutures that are dyed with beet juice. When a wound is infected, the sutures change color.
Dasia went on to win prizes at many science fairs. She now has a patent, legal recognition for her invention. “I’m so glad I raised my hand in class that day!” she says.
