Summary of “Simpler and Much Cheaper” – A New Way To Test Antibiotic Resistance:
Researchers from EPFL and Vrije Universiteit Brussel have developed a new method for quick antibiotic susceptibility testing using optical microscopy called Optical Nanomotion Detection. The label-free approach is fast and accurate at a single-cell level and can be performed using a basic optical microscope equipped with a camera or mobile phone. The system can obtain an antibiogram within 2-4 hours. Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide concern for public health, and the method has significant implications for clinical and research applications. The study was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (Belspo), and the European Space Agency.
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Optical Microscopy Offers Quick Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing
Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in the medical community, as it threatens the effective treatment of bacterial infections. Scientists have developed a new method for quick antibiotic susceptibility testing using EPFL and Vrije Universiteit Brussel optical microscopy. The approach, called Optical Nanomotion Detection, is fast, accurate at the single-cell level, label-free, and can be carried out using a basic optical microscope equipped with a camera or a mobile phone.
Faster and Simple Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing
The new technique, called optical nano motion detection (ONMD), involves monitoring nanoscale vibrations of single bacteria before and while being exposed to antibiotics. The monitoring is performed with a basic optical microscope, a video camera, or a mobile phone. The researchers used ONMD to detect numerous bacteria’s sensitivity to antibiotics successfully. The ONMD monitors the bacteria’s life-death transitions upon exposure to different antibiotics and highlights changes in the bacteria’s metabolism caused by the availability of nutrients.
Fast and Accurate Results
The joint research project was published in the journal PNAS. The authors state: “The simplicity and efficiency of the method make it a game-changer in the field of AST,” as it can be applied to a wide range of bacteria, which has significant implications for clinical and research applications. Ines Villalba from EPFL comments: “We have developed a technique in our laboratories that allows us to obtain an antibiogram within 2-4 hours – instead of the current 24 hours for the most common germs and one month for tuberculosis.” The technique uses a conventional optical microscope, a camera, or a mobile phone with dedicated software. It can perform an AST with single-cell sensitivity without attaching or labeling bacteria.
Global Concern for Public Health
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria gain the capability to overcome the medicines created to eradicate them. It has now become a worldwide concern for public health. In 2019, it was the cause of at least 1.27 million fatalities globally and was implicated in nearly five million deaths. There are almost three million cases of antimicrobial-resistant infections annually in the United States, and the cost of treating the top six disorders exceeds $4.6 billion. In the European Union, there are nearly 700,000 cases each year, with an estimated cost of €1.5 billion. Antibiotic sensitivity testing (AST) uses culture methods that expose bacteria to antibiotics or genetic approaches to determine if bacteria possess genes that confer resistance. Typical ASTs last up to 24 hours or longer for slow-growing bacteria – a timeframe that can mean life or death in a clinical setting.
The Bottom Line
Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in the medical community, but the new ONMD method can offer an efficient and effective solution to this problem. The technique’s simplicity, speed, and accuracy make it a promising alternative for quicker and more precise antibiotic susceptibility testing. Medical professionals can make more informed treatment decisions by providing faster and more accurate results, potentially improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
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