Abigail Barnes is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. Her food allergies have landed her in the hospital on six different occasions. She’s not alone: in the U.S., every three minutes a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency department.

A few years ago, when Barnes was living in Vermont and attending law school, she heard about the work of Joseph BelBruno. He’s a chemistry professor at Dartmouth College who has done extensive research on polymer sensor technologies and, like Barnes, suffers from severe food allergies. Read the full story here.