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Updated: Feb 25, 2026
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Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing by Stimulated Raman Scattering Imaging of Deuterium Incorporation in a Single Bacterium
Published on: February 14, 2022
3.4K
Antibiotic susceptibility testing in less than 30 min using direct single-cell imaging.
Özden Baltekin1, Alexis Boucharin1, Eva Tano2
1Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
Summary
A new point-of-care diagnostic test can rapidly determine antibiotic susceptibility for urinary tract infections. This rapid test identifies bacterial resistance in under 30 minutes, guiding appropriate antibiotic prescriptions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Medical Diagnostics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat exacerbated by improper antibiotic use.
- Current diagnostic methods for bacterial infections are too slow for point-of-care use.
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect millions annually and often involve antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid point-of-care susceptibility test for UTIs.
- To enable timely and accurate antibiotic prescription for UTIs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a custom microfluidic chip for capturing low-count bacterial cells (10^4 cfu/mL).
- Monitored individual bacterial growth rates via microscopy to assess antibiotic response.
- Averaged growth rate changes across multiple cells to accelerate detection.
Main Results:
- Detected bacterial growth rate changes in response to nine common UTI antibiotics within minutes.
- Successfully classified all 49 clinical uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates as susceptible or resistant to ciprofloxacin in under 10 minutes.
- Achieved a total test time of less than 30 minutes from sample loading to diagnostic readout.
Conclusions:
- A rapid point-of-care antibiotic susceptibility test for UTIs is feasible.
- This technology can guide appropriate antibiotic selection for UTIs, combating resistance.
- The developed method offers a significant improvement over existing diagnostic timelines.
