20/09/2025
A young scientist from Thiruvananthapuram is making global headlines with a medical breakthrough that could change the fight against cancer. Dr. Jeladhara Shobanan (32) a native of Kesavadasapuram and now a postdoctoral associate at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, has developed a nano device that can precisely detect and destroy cancer-causing cells โ with a patent already pending.
The device, smaller than 500 microns, is delivered into the body through silica and uses a photosensitizer drug along with an ultra-sensitive oxygen sensor. When exposed to light, it generates singlet oxygen to destroy cancer cells without harming neighbouring ones โ and can even be monitored in real time. Impressively, it is said to be 270 times more light-sensitive than existing sensors.
Jeladhara also devised a liquid biopsy method that can detect fewer than 10 cancer cells in blood samples, a discovery that won her the Chemistry Prize from the Japanese Photochemistry Association.
Her journey began at Pattom Kendriya Vidyalaya, followed by studies in chemistry at Womenโs College, Thiruvananthapuram, PG at MG University, research at NCL Pune and the University of Hyderabad, and a PhD in Environmental Materials Science at Hokkaido University, Japan. She moved to the US in 2022 to continue her research.
From her school days in Kerala to cutting-edge labs abroad, Jeladharaโs work stands as a proud reminder of the talent shaping global science.