NC State Strengthens Global Standing with SensUs Innovation Win

Student-Led Research at NC State Tackles Kidney Health with Wearable Tech

North Carolina State University (NC State) is a pioneering research institution, founded in 1887. Primarily recognised as a land-grant university. For more than 138 years, the university has been well-known for its strength in leading subjects such as engineering, agriculture, life sciences and technology.NC State offers a wide range of courses, covering more than 100 undergraduate majors and over 200 graduate programmes. It is classified as an R1 university, reflecting its very high research activity and global academic reach. The university has a clear vision to prepare students to tackle real-world challenges and thrive in fields ranging from biosciences to artificial intelligence by focusing on innovation and practical learning. Believing in its motto, “Think and Do”, the university created a culture of action, collaboration and impact, and these values were completely reflected in its recent success on the global platform.

After years of dedicated teamwork, the NC State team showcased its talent at the SensUs International Biosensor Competition, which was held at the Technical University Eindhoven( TU/e) in the Netherlands. As soon as the team from NC State was announced as the first-place winner in the Innovation category, the auditorium filled with excitement, reflecting the months of hard work and effort that had paid off. The team members were overwhelmed with joy, as this historic victory marked the university’s first-ever top placement in nearly a decade of participation in the competition.

This project started with an email circulated in Nelson Hall as an invitation to students who want to take part in an innovative challenge to create a wearable biosensor capable of measuring creatinine, a key indicator of kidney health. Creatinine is a by-product of muscle metabolism in the human body, which is regularly filtered from the bloodstream by healthy kidneys. If kidney function declines, creatinine level rises, making it a reliable marker for diagnosing conditions such as chronic kidney disease. This measurement is generally used in diagnosing renal performance in patients.

In addition to the technical design, the challenge required a viable business strategy to bring the product to market. Michael Daniele, Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, was reported to have sought collaboration with business students from the Poole College of Management to strengthen the team’s commercial approach and complement its engineering expertise.

All the team members played essential roles throughout the project by focusing on outreach, speaking with patients and doctors, managing social media, and creating a pitch video, efforts that ultimately won the team the Public Inspiration Award. Additionally, other team members worked on industry research and later developed a software platform and mobile app called CreaCare to support the biosensor. This app provides useful health information to doctors and patients that is not easily available elsewhere. Overall, the project demonstrated how business skills can turn technical ideas into real healthcare solutions.

The creative ideas of team members were recognised by the Innovation Award, approving wearable technologies that have long-term potential. Despite all the challenges, the NC State University team members competed among 18 top international universities and proudly secured the position. The team had to manage multiple tasks such as classes, jobs, travel, and tight deadlines, all while facing technical hurdles. At times, even the team members questioned whether the project would succeed, but in the end, they showed what a determined team can achieve.Nevertheless, persistent efforts and clear communication played a key role in the team’s progress. They maintained open and direct dialogue, ensuring that each discussion moved their project forward. Moreover, the blending of diverse strengths and a shared focus on the goal enabled them to overcome all obstacles. According to participants, those struggles  provided as many lessons as the triumph itself.

Reflecting on their journey, the team shared that one of the most valuable lessons was recognising the importance of individual strengths. They emphasised that even in highly technical settings, creativity, clear communication, and strategic thinking were just as vital as engineering expertise. True collaboration, they noted, happens when people bring their unique skills with confidence and commitment.

Commentators observed that NC State University began their journey from a simple email invitation to an international achievement that is truly inspiring for others. This competition provided a platform for students to share their ideas, handle the challenges together and help them to emerge not only as teammates but as emerging leaders. The journey from Nelson Hall in North Carolina to the competition stage in the Netherlands stood as a powerful example of what the Pack can accomplish when talent, determination, and teamwork come together, qualities that continue to strengthen NC State’s reputation as a university driving innovation in science and business.

Editor’s Note:

The unprecedented achievement of NC State University set a milestone for students around the world. Securing first place in the Innovation category at the SensUS International Biosensor competition reflected its growing reputation for research-driven innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. Moreover, the development of a wearable biosensor designed to measure creatinine levels, which is a critical marker for kidney health, opened a new path of research in the healthcare field. The elevated creatinine level indicates chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury, and addressing this pressing clinical need help doctors diagnose the dysfunctional kidney at the early stages. The combination of engineering expertise with business strategy, the students built a functional prototype and proposed a market-ready solution supported by a mobile platform named CreaCare. This tool was designed to provide patients and clinicians with accessible health data, bridging gaps in current diagnostic systems. Observers noted that the journey was marked by challenges, including time constraints, technical setbacks, and the demands of balancing academic commitments. Yet, the team’s persistence, open communication, and shared leadership transformed those obstacles into learning opportunities. The experience underscored the value of individual strengths and demonstrated how creativity, strategy, and collaboration are essential even in highly technical environments.

Skoobuzz underlines that what began as a classroom challenge became an international success story, one that not only showcased NC State’s commitment to practical learning and global impact but also reaffirmed the university’s role in shaping future leaders at the intersection of science, technology, and business.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the SensUs International Biosensor Competition? 
SensUs is a global student competition focused on developing innovative biosensors to address real-world health challenges. It brings together teams from leading universities to design, prototype, and present wearable technologies with clinical and commercial potential.

2. What did NC State University win at the competition? 
NC State University won first place in the Innovation category, marking its first top placement in nearly a decade of participation. The team was also awarded the Public Inspiration Award for their outreach and communication efforts.

3. What was the focus of NC State’s biosensor project? 
The team developed a wearable biosensor designed to measure creatinine levels,a key indicator of kidney health. The project aimed to support early detection of kidney-related conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI).

4. Why is creatinine important in healthcare? 
Creatinine is a waste product filtered by the kidneys. Elevated levels in the blood can signal impaired kidney function. Measuring creatinine is a standard method used in clinical settings to assess renal health and guide treatment decisions.

5. What is CreaCare, and how does it support the biosensor? 
CreaCare is a software platform and mobile app developed by the team to complement the biosensor. It provides patients and doctors with accessible health data, helping bridge gaps in current diagnostic tools and improving care delivery.

6. Who was involved in the project from NC State? 
The team included engineering and business students, with roles ranging from technical development and software design to outreach, patient engagement, and public communication. The project was guided by Associate Professor Michael Daniele from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

7. What challenges did the team face during the project? 
The team balanced academic commitments, jobs, international travel, and tight deadlines. They also encountered technical setbacks and moments of doubt about the project’s viability. Open communication and persistence were key to overcoming these challenges.

8. How does this achievement reflect NC State’s values? 
The project embodied NC State’s motto Think and Do, showcasing the university’s commitment to innovation, practical learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration. It also highlighted the importance of combining techncal expertise with strategic thinking and leadership.