Cantilever for infectious diseases

Nanotechnology device detects bacteria and their resistance to antibiotics

"Planet News"

A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Alberta has invented a device that can quickly identify harmful bacteria and determine how resistant they are to antibiotics.

Lead developer Thomas Thundat explains (in a press release, New device designed to identify bacteria and find the right drugs to beat them - VM) that such a device can save time in patient care and public health funds, as well as prevent the spread of resistant strains of bacteria. According to him, the microfluidic cantilever detects bacteria and measures their susceptibility to antibiotics in small volumes of liquid.

The device was designed to search for and capture different types of bacteria, and find out which antibiotics are most effective against them. Instead of growing bacterial cultures and testing them – a widely used and time–consuming approach - the microscopic device relies on nanotechnology for fast results.

The main feature of the device is a cantilever bar that resembles a springboard, having a microfluidic channel 25 times smaller than the width of the hair engraved on the surface. The channel is covered with biomaterials-antibodies, which are clung to by harmful bacteria, such as E.coli or Listeria, contained in liquid samples. When the bacteria are caught, the device sends three different signals.

Figure from the article Etayash et al. Microfluidic cantilever detects bacteria and measures their susceptibility to antibiotics in small confined volumes, published in the journal Nature Communications – VM.

Three detection methods help avoid erroneous results, says Thundat. "By observing the interaction of light and bacteria, we can get highly selective detection of bacteria," added co–author of the development Fahim Khan. "We have been achieving this for a very long time."

When bacteria are trapped in the cantilever, various antibiotic preparations can be added. Changes in the intensity of tiny vibrations of the cantilever are a signal about whether bacteria are alive or dead. Thus, researchers will find out which antibiotics bacteria are sensitive to.

One of the authors of the invention Hashem Etayash says:

"We are trying to find a way to combat bacterial drug resistance and prevent or reduce the spread of drug-resistant strains. We can do several tests in a very short period of time and quickly identify bacteria that can resist antibiotics."

The device can be used to test very small samples of liquid, millions of times smaller than raindrops, explains Thundat. The team has patented the technology and hopes to develop a "custom" prototype of the device and bring it to market.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  05.10.2016