Tohid Didar, associate professor of biomedical engineering at McMaster University, is developing nano-biomaterials that improve public health by reducing food waste, fighting infections, and advancing women’s health.

To combat infectious diseases, he developed bio-inspired pathogen-repelling nanomaterials such as RepelWrap^TM, as well as antimicrobial sprays, implants and medical catheters with built-in infection resistance. To prevent foodborne illness, Didar created SentinelWrap^TM, an intelligent food packaging that uses DNA-based sensors to detect pathogens in real time without opening the package. To prevent food waste, he has developed an AI-enabled app that predicts food freshness from a smartphone photo, empowering safer consumer decisions. To improve women’s health, Didar’s lab invented a flushable, biodegradable menstrual gel for use in menstrual cups, creating an environmentally friendly and accessible option for women’s hygiene. This marks the start of his mission to create wearable diagnostic and treatment tools for women’s health.

Didar’s innovations are leading to better infection control, safer food systems, and more accessible, sustainable tools for diagnosing and treating health conditions around the world.