(upbeat music)
Narrator: When people are infected
with a virus or bacteria,
their bodies give off different smells.
An electronic nose,
developed at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln,
could help sniff out disease.
The e-nose detects specific chemicals,
excreted through the skin or exhaled in our breath
when we're sick.
-: So, the e-nose
is able to detect those like particles in the air
to figure out maybe if there's like COVID in the air
that floating around.
And we can't see that with our eyes,
but we're hoping to have like an electronic form
that can detect that.
(dog barking)
It kind of mimics like a dog's nose
and it's able to detect what's in the air,
kind of like if a dog was sniffing.
Narrator: The e-nose transmits data to a smartphone
where it's processed to help diagnose disease,
computer science student, Bridget Peterkin,
develops the code for that smartphone app.
-: So, my role has been working on the Android app
to help collect that data and organize it
and then be able to put that in a nice, neat format
for some of our researchers to do more analysis,
into the data.
Narrator: Peterkin is a sophomore
in UNL's Raikes School of Computer Science and Management.
-: I was the kid who grew up doing like science experiments
and like the little circuit boards.
So, shouted to my parents
for helping me like do all of that.
I think there's kind of this myth
that when it comes to STEM and coding in particular,
you have to be some sort of like genius
who locks themselves in a garage
and like codes all day in the dark.
And that's just not the case at all.
Anyone can do it if you're tenacious,
if you wanna learn,
if you love problem solving and creativity,
it's absolutely for you.
Narrator: The e-nose is being tested on COVID-19 patients
at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
If the e-nose is successful,
Peterkin will take pride in her contribution
to medical science.
-: It's so exciting to get to apply my education
on something that could potentially save lives.
(upbeat music)