The cell
\nsensor with a barcode-like micro-channel structure comprises two main parts: a
\ncell culture zone and a “barcode” cell sensor.<\/span><\/h5>\nA rapid and low-cost testing approach<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Antibiotics are often used to treat bacterial infections, but the
\noveruse and misuse of antibiotics have created the problem of drug resistance.
\nAntimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is used to determine which
\nantibiotics can effectively inhibit the growth of a certain type of bacteria
\neffectively. However, conventional AST methods are too slow, as they require 16
\nto 24 hours for results, while modern rapid ASTs are expensive and require
\nelaborated laboratory equipment. A rapid and cost-effective strategy is therefore
\nneeded to screen bacterial samples onsite, with advanced laboratory testing
\narranged only for those suspected of containing drug-resistant bacteria.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
In response to this need, a research team led by Dr Ren Kangning, Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry at
\nHKBU<\/b> designed a fully automatic, microscope-free AST system. It comprises
\ntwo main parts: a cell culture zone and a “barcode” cell sensor. The cell culture zone <\/b>consists of a set of
\nmicro-channels filled with fluids that contain cell culture media as well as
\ndifferent concentrations of the antibiotic. The “barcode” cell sensor <\/b>contains an array of “adaptive linear
\nfilters” arranged in parallel that resembles a “barcode” structure. Users can
\nfinish the onsite screening within three hours by scanning the “barcode” with a
\nmobile app developed by the researchers, and it will indicate whether any
\ndrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria is present in the sample.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Quantity of bacteria represented by bar length <\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
When conducting AST with the system, bacterial samples will be injected
\ninto and incubated in the cell culture zone. Bacteria in the test sample inside
\nthe micro-channels show different proliferation rates depending on different
\nconcentrations of the antibiotic.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
After completion of the culture period, the bacterial cells will flow
\nthrough the “adaptive linear filters”. The cells will not accumulate around the
\nnanopores on the sidewalls of the micro-channels, instead they will be driven
\ndown by the fluid and be collected from the end of the micro-channels. The accumulated cells will then form
\nvisible vertical bars, the lengths of which are proportional to the quantity of
\nbacteria cells cultured under the different concentrations of the antibiotic.<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
A cell phone equipped with a macro-lens can then be used to photograph
\nthe “barcode” created by the AST. The image will be analysed automatically by the
\nmobile app. <\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Results consistent with conventional AST<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
After the culture period, if all the “bars” of the cell sensor have
\nsimilar lengths, it means the tested antibiotic cannot inhibit the growth of
\nthe bacteria, and thus the bacterial sample is resistant to the tested
\nantibiotic. If the length of the “bars” is in general inversely proportional to
\nthe concentration of the antibiotic in the micro-channels, it shows that the
\ntested antibiotic is generally effective at prohibiting the growth of the
\nbacteria, and thus the bacteria is not drug-resistant. When two adjacent “bars”
\nshow a sharp difference in terms of length, it indicates that the antimicrobial
\neffect of the antibiotic leaps when its concentration reaches a particular
\nlevel.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The research team tested E. coli<\/i> and S.
\naureus<\/i> with the “barcode” cell sensor and the results were consistent with
\nthose of the conventional AST.<\/b> The test can be completed in three hours,
\nwhich is much faster than the conventional AST.<\/b> Microfluidic approaches
\ndeveloped by other researchers can also attain comparable speed, but they rely
\non expensive instruments for analysis in general.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Potential for use in resource-limited regions<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Our ‘barcode’ testing system is a promising new tool in the fight
\nagainst antimicrobial resistance. We hope that it will benefit the routine
\nscreening of drug-resistant bacteria in the food industry, public areas and
\nhealthcare facilities as it does not require advanced clinical facilities or professional
\ntesting skills,” said Dr Ren.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The “barcode” cell
\nsensor has a low production cost, and it
\nis estimated to be below one US dollar per piece<\/b>. The research team has
\nfiled a patent application for the “barcode” cell sensor. “We plan to develop
\nour invention into a portable AST instrument, and ultimately, we hope it can be
\nused in resource-limited regions,” Dr Ren added.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Apart from researchers from HKBU’s Department of Chemistry, the
\nresearch team of the “barcode” cell sensor also included scientists from the Department
\nof Computer Science at HKBU and the School of Medicine at Stanford University.<\/p>\n
#HongKongBaptistUniversity #HKBU<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HONG KONG
SAR –\u00a0Media
OutReach\u00a0– 29 September 2021 –\u00a0A research team led by scientists at
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)
has developed a novel cell sensor with a barcode-like micro-channel structure that enables rapid and
low-cost screening of drug-resistant bacteria. The invention could
potentially be used on a large-scale in resource-limited situations such as
frequent …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[60],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17806"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eodishasamachar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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