UCR Bioengineer Dr. William Grover and PhD student Heran Bhakta at KUCR studios being interviewed on the BBC’s Science In Action. KUCR produces content for numerous broadcasters worldwide.

With the health millions of people around the world jeopardized by counterfeit medications, UCR Bioengineer Dr William Grover, PhD student Heran Bhakta and UCR undergrad Vamsi Choday, sought a way to field-test drugs simply and inexpensively. Inspired by a 3000-year-old African “thumb piano” called a “mbira,” they fashioned a device for measuring the density of any fluid sample. By replacing the mbira’s pitched tines with bent steel tubing and then filling the tubing with a sample of medication, they use a smartphone to read the frequency of the plucked tubing. If the frequency doesn’t match that of the authentic medication, it is deemed counterfeit and rejected, potentially saving many lives. Listen to the BBC interview here.

I love this giant whiteboard charting out the @kucr883fm program schedule. Where else but in college radio could you get such a rich and diverse set of offerings? Such a huge resource for the community. pic.twitter.com/0ZM6lQC30S

— William H. Grover (@wgrover) September 17, 2018

Here's the view from behind the microphones at @kucr883fm. Mbira sensors at the ready! pic.twitter.com/yj0DkziUEm

— William H. Grover (@wgrover) September 17, 2018