Paper based point-of-care testing disc for multiplex whole cell bacteria analysis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Biosensor Technology
• Infectious Disease Diagnostics

Background:

• Point-of-care testing (POCT) is crucial for rapid infectious disease diagnosis, reducing turnaround times and enabling bedside or remote testing.
• Immunochromatographic lateral flow biosensors provide a cost-effective and sensitive platform for POCT applications.
• Accurate and timely detection of bacterial pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus is critical for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and evaluate a multiplex immuno-disc sensor for the specific detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
• To develop a portable device for quantitative color intensity analysis of the sensor's output.
• To establish a rapid, sensitive, and low-cost POCT tool for infectious bacterial agents.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a multiplex immuno-disc sensor utilizing antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles as signaling agents.
• Testing the sensor's detection range for whole bacterial cells without sample preprocessing.
• Design and construction of a portable color reader to convert visual color intensity into a quantitative voltage reading.

Main Results:

• The immuno-disc sensor demonstrated specific detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
• The detection range for the bacteria was established within 500-5000 CFU/ml.
• A portable device was successfully developed to provide quantitative, voltage-based readings proportional to bacterial concentration.

Conclusions:

• The developed multiplex immuno-disc sensor combined with a portable reader offers a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective solution for POCT of infectious bacteria.
• This integrated system eliminates the need for sample preprocessing and enables whole-cell bacterial detection.
• The technology holds significant potential for improving infectious disease diagnosis at the point of care.