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Updated: Jan 5, 2026
Author Spotlight: Engineering Molecular Tools for Disease Detection and Imaging
Published on: December 8, 2023
Rapid detection of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) from artificial urine samples based on IFAST and ATP bioluminescence
Bongkot Ngamsom1, Ernest Apondi Wandera, Alexander Iles
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering. University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK. n.pamme@hull.ac.uk.
Abstract:
We report the rapid detection (20 min) of Streptococcus agalactiae, Group B Streptococcus (GBS) employing on-chip magnetic isolation of GBS based on immiscible filtration assisted by surface tension (IFAST), followed by detection of the isolated GBS using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay. Up to 80% GBS cells were isolated from spiked artificial urine samples with linear responses of bioluminescence signals from isolated cells at 2.3 × 102-9.1 × 105 CFU mL-1, demonstrating great promise for point-of-care detection of pathogenic bacteria in screening urine samples from pregnant women. Practical challenges during initial testing of the developed protocol with urine samples in Kenya are also described.
