Rapid chip-based detection of antibiotic resistances

Introduction

Drug-resistant infections are one of the greatest threats facing humanity. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) causes over 700,000 deaths each year. Furthermore, AMR is associated with reduced quality of life, increased hospitalization periods, and medical costs.

Drivers of AMR

Misuse and over-prescription of antibiotics for human or animal treatment are some of the drivers of AMR. At the same time, the development of new antibiotics is virtually nonexistent.

Importance of Fast Diagnostics

Hence, developing fast diagnostic methods to identify the optimal treatment is key to effectively fighting AMR and increasing survival rates of patients encountering life-threatening infections.

Current Diagnostic Limitations

So far, diagnostics rely on bacterial cultures, leading to slow turnaround times. These delays are linked to the preventive administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are often inefficient and lead to worse disease outcomes and the spread of AMR.

Novel Approaches

Novel approaches such as DNA PCR-based diagnostic panels or next-generation sequencing methods have been recently proposed to address this issue. However, they:

1. Target a limited number of pathogens and genes.
2. Require expensive equipment and highly-trained personnel.
3. Require a culture step to reach detection levels, usually lasting a few hours, which can be critical for serious conditions.

New Method Development

Recently, using technology derived from ERC StG and PoC grants, we designed a method to concentrate, purify, and isolate bacterial RNA in just 5 minutes.

Project Goals

Here, we seek to develop and validate these tools, combined with a rapid RNA chip array with single-molecule resolution, to provide a culture-free, fast, and highly sensitive alternative to bacterial infection diagnostics from direct blood samples.

Expected Outcomes

Once developed, ResisCHIP will provide a tailor-made diagnostic kit with the capacity to identify thousands of genes and pathogens from a blood sample in less than 2 hours. This will allow for the rapid selection of the best treatment, improving AMR stewardship, and becoming a significant breakthrough in AMR diagnostics.