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The Use of a β-lactamase-based Conductimetric Biosensor Assay to Detect Biomolecular Interactions
Published on: February 1, 2018
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Affordable automated phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing method based on a contactless conductometric sensor
Xuzhi Zhang1,2, Xiaoyu Jiang1, Qianqian Yang1
1Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Scientific Reports
|December 5, 2020
Summary
A new contactless conductometric sensor (CCS) offers a user-friendly, cost-effective method for phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST). This automated assay provides accurate minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results, improving upon standard methods for clinical and research applications.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Urgent need for user-friendly phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) methods in clinical medicine, epidemiology, and drug research.
- Limitations of current AST methods in terms of cost, complexity, and accuracy.
- Requirement for improved diagnostic tools to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a convenient, cost-effective phenotypic AST method.
- To enable online monitoring of bacterial growth for rapid MIC determination.
- To provide an affordable and accurate alternative to standard AST assays.
Main Methods:
- Development of an 8-channel contactless conductometric sensor (CCS) for bacterial growth monitoring.
- Testing with model organisms (E. coli, V. parahaemolyticus) and various antibiotic agents.
- Validation of CCS AST results against the standard broth microdilution (BMD) assay.
Main Results:
- The CCS method demonstrated essential agreement of 68.8-92.3% compared to BMD.
- The CCS system costs approximately $9,000, with per-sample costs under $1.
- Automated CCS assays yielded more precise MIC values than manual BMD, with higher readings in 72% of cases.
Conclusions:
- The developed CCS AST method is affordable, accurate, sensitive, and user-friendly.
- This technology offers significant advantages for phenotypic AST in various settings.
- The CCS system represents a promising advancement in rapid and reliable antibiotic susceptibility determination.
