Interference Disturbance Analysis Enables Single-Cell Level Growth and Mobility Characterization for Rapid...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biophysics
• Microbiology

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) necessitates rapid diagnostic tools for effective treatment.
• Current antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods can be time-consuming, delaying critical interventions.
• Early identification of effective antibiotic therapy reduces mortality and prevents pathogen resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel diffraction-based method for quantitative bacterial growth, mobility, and susceptibility measurements.
• To enable fast and accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
• To monitor bacterial behavior in real-time and in low volumes without requiring high initial cell numbers.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a diffraction-based technique analyzing the intensity of a light diffraction peak from gold nanostructures.
• Monitoring the decrease in diffraction peak intensity correlated with bacterial cell number and growth.
• Analyzing short-term fluctuations in diffraction peak intensity to determine bacterial mobility.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a direct correlation between decreased diffraction peak intensity and bacterial cell number, from single cells upwards.
• Achieved rapid, high-throughput AST measurements, determining minimum inhibitory concentrations in under 2-3 hours.
• Enabled susceptibility testing in as little as 30-40 minutes.
• Quantified bacterial mobility changes, showing a threefold decrease during surface attachment.

Conclusions:

• The developed diffraction-based method offers a multiparameter detection system for rapid AST.
• This technique is suitable for both planktonic and biofilm-forming bacteria in low volumes and real-time.
• The method provides a significant advancement in combating antimicrobial resistance through faster diagnostics.