We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Fast Antibacterial Susceptibility Testing by Measuring Electron Transfer Metabolism

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 07 Dec 2020
A recently developed device facilitates bacterial antibiotics susceptibility testing by measuring the effect of these drugs on bacterial electron transfer metabolism.

Since some 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur annually in the United States with more than 35,000 fatalities, fast and simple antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is urgently required to guide effective antibiotic usages and for monitoring of the antimicrobial resistance rate. More...


Towards this end, investigators at Binghamton University (NY, USA) established a rapid, quantitative, and high-throughput phenotypic AST by measuring electrons transferred from the interiors of microbial cells to external electrodes. Since the transferred electrons are based on microbial metabolic activities and are inversely proportional to the concentration of potential antibiotics, the changes in electrical outputs can be readily used as a signal to efficiently monitor bacterial growth and antibiotic susceptibility.

For this study, the investigators utilized the common Gram-negative pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa together with the first-line antibiotic gentamicin. The novel detector had eight sensors printed on a paper surface. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values generated by the new technique were validated by the gold standard broth microdilution (BMD) method.

Results revealed that the new approach provided quantitative, actionable MIC results within just five hours, as it measured electricity produced by bacterial metabolism instead of the days needed for growth-observation methods.

"To effectively treat the infections, we need to select the right antibiotics with the exact dose for the appropriate duration," said senior author Dr. Seokheun Choi, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Binghamton University. "There is a need to develop an antibiotic-susceptibility testing method and offer effective guidelines to treat these infections."

"Although many bacteria are energy-producing, some pathogens do not perform extracellular electron transfer and may not be used directly in our platform. However, various chemical compounds can assist the electron transfer from non-electricity-producing bacteria," said Dr. Choi. "For instance, E. coli cannot transfer electrons from the inside of the cell to the outside, but with the addition of some chemical compounds, they can generate electricity. Now we are working on how to make this technique general to all bacteria cells. We leverage this biochemical event for a new technique to assess the antibiotic effectiveness against bacteria without monitoring the whole bacterial growth. As far as I know, we are the first to demonstrate this technique in a rapid and high-throughput manner by using paper as a substrate."

The new method for determining bacterial antibiotic resistance was published in the November 15, 2020 issue of the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

Related Links:
Binghamton University


New
Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
New
Automated PCR Setup
ESTREAM
New
Integrated Biochemical & Immunological System
Biolumi CX8
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: A simple blood test could replace surgical biopsies for early detecion of heart transplant rejection (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients

Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more

Pathology

view channel
These images illustrate how precision oncology Organ Chips recapitulate individual patients’ responses to chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Cancer Chip Accurately Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Response

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of the two primary types of esophageal cancer, ranks as the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and currently lacks effective targeted therapies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.