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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria
Published on: May 8, 2013
Development of a rapid diagnostic assay for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant
Wesley C Lindsey1, Evelyn S Woodruff, Diane Weed
1Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc., Louisville, CO 80027, USA.
Abstract:
We describe here a rapid assay for the detection of the tuf gene for the identification of Staphylococcus genus, the femB gene for the identification of Staphylococcus aureus species, and the mecA gene for the identification of methicillin resistance directly from BACTEC blood culture bottles showing Gram-positive cocci in clusters. The test, configured on a thin-film biosensor platform, allows for detection of genomic DNA from blood culture samples without the need for nucleic acid amplification. In an initial study to validate the technology, 107 consecutive positive blood cultures were tested on the thin-film biosensor, and the assay exhibited 100% concordance in comparison with standard microbiological methods for identifying methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant S. aureus and for identifying methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. Results were obtained within 90 min directly from signal positive bottles with no instrumentation required.
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