Antibiotic resistance can be detected in less than 90 minutes!

The technology of using electron probes to measure bacterial metabolic activity can identify antibiotic resistance within 90 minutes, which is a great improvement over the current technology that takes 1 to 2 days

This discovery means that doctors can quickly know which antibiotics are effective against fatal infections and which are ineffective.

"The idea here is to give doctors results faster so they can make appropriate clinical decisions during their working hours without having to wait," said Douglas, Professor Regent Paul Allen School of Global Health and co-author of the paper

Antibiotic resistance is becoming more common throughout the world and threatens the ability to treat many common infectious diseases

To determine whether a particular infection is resistant to antibiotics, you need to isolate the bacteria, then grow them in the laboratory, and observe the growth of the bacteria.

In their paper, the Washington State University team used probes to directly measure the electrochemical signals of bacteria, thereby measuring their metabolism and respiration, and understanding how they were before they were visible in culture

Bacteria that are still metabolizing and "breathing" after antibiotic treatment are considered resistant

Abdelrhman Mohamed said that previous attempts to measure the electrochemical activity of bacteria have been limited because most bacteria cannot transfer electrons directly to electrodes

Muhammad said: "This gives us a universal mechanism that can test all types of pathogens

The researchers tested four different types of bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections and tested various antibiotics that work through different mechanisms

Researchers are now planning to design their probes so that they can be easily used and standardized by clinicians, and hope to commercialize them

"It's really exciting to participate in a project that is not only valuable from a scientific point of view, but commercial and industrial applications may one day really improve people's lives," Gretchen Tibbits said

They are also working to better understand the basic mechanism of the electrochemical process in order to further improve it

The co-author of this paper, Professor Haluk Beyenal of Fulham College, said: "We can do it in two hours, but if we understand the mechanism better, maybe we can do it in a few minutes
.
" "As long as the bacteria are still there.
We are alive, we can take measurements
.
"

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Rapid differentiation of antibiotic-susceptible and -resistant bacteria through mediated extracellular electron transfer