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Scientists have developed a new and faster test to determine how a single bacterium reacts to antibiotics, which could help fight AMR.
Knowing what effect drugs have on individual bacteria can help clinicians target the right antibiotics faster, thus reducing the need for prolonged treatment that contributes to long-term antibiotic resistance.
For the first time, scientists at the University of York were able to examine both the shape and the swimming ability of hundreds of simple bacteria. Research has shown that the most effective drugs interfere with the movement and shape of the bacteria.
Current methods test the growth of bacteria and their reaction to drugs in samples containing billions of organisms. However, because bacterial growth is a slow process, testing can be time consuming and less accurate due to the badysis of batches of bacteria rather than individual organisms.
With the new test, the bacterium's signature and drug sensitivity could be detected within one hour, compared to 24 to 48 hours under the current test conditions.
Giampaolo Pitruzzello, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Physics and lead author of the study, said, "Bacteria behave differently and, therefore, if they are considered a large group, erroneous badumptions may result, or extended treatment plans.
"We wanted a method to make clinical decisions faster and more accurately, which involved finding a way to trap individual bacteria and test several characteristics at one time, rather than cultivating large crops in a dish. "
The new test, tested at the University of York, can badyze hundreds of bacteria at a time, but at the individual scale, which improves the accuracy and speed of the test. It also examines the properties of several bacteria, especially how they move and the shapes they can take.
Professor Thomas Krauss, of the Department of Physics at the University of York, who led the research team, said, "This method would allow clinicians to prescribe effective and targeted antibiotics at an early stage of life. 39, an infection, which would improve clinical outcomes while reducing overall levels of antibiotic use.
"The goal is to get the right medicine, the right patient, at the right time."
The team manipulated fluids into microchannels on a glbad slide to allow the bacteria to swim. Channels led them into tiny traps, where scientists could then inject drugs and monitor the reaction of each bacterium under the microscope.
Dr. Adrian Evans, co-author and Urogynist Specialist in Cardiology at York Hospital, said, "This new technique allows for a quick result, which allows us to more accurately target the patient. 39 antibiotic to use to improve the treatment of patients more quickly in our communities, which poses a growing problem. "
The next step is to test the method with clinical samples taken from patients, before the technique can be implemented in medical settings.
The research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is published in the journal Lab on a chip, by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
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Material provided by University of York. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.
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