Microsystem with electrical sensing of bacteria – a novel rapid diagnostic test

Antimicrobial resistance is one of our greatest global challenges, predicted to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050.

One challenge in the fight against antibiotic resistance is fast and reliable diagnostic tools so that antibiotics are used only when necessary and useful.

The goal of the project is to develop an on-site diagnostic tool that can be used in dairy farms to determine antibiotic susceptibility (AST) and to identify the bacterial species.

The technology is based on microfluidics with electrical read-out to enable a truly portable device that can be used by a non-expert on e.g. milk samples.

By capturing and monitoring the growth rate of bacteria in microfluidic channels, the detection time for antibiotic resistance can be significantly reduced compared to current practices.

We hypothesise that simultaneous AST and species identification would be made possible through careful analysis of the curve shape in the impedance spectra and could be used to distinguish cell properties such as size and cell wall composition (e.g.

Gram positive/negative), which is important both for the selection of antibiotics and the prevention of disease.Expected outcomes are improved animal health, reduced antibiotics use, and a new generation of researchers specialised in technology research for improved diagnostics.