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Bioinspired Plasmonic Nanosensor for on-Site Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in Urine Samples
Ruijia Huang1,2, Xiaoqing Cai2, Jihui Du1
1Medical Research Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen 518052, PR China.
ACS Nano
|October 25, 2022
Summary
Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing is crucial for treating superbugs like E. coli and K. pneumoniae. A new plasmonic nanosensor provides on-site results within 2 hours, improving patient survival and combating antibiotic resistance.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Delayed antibiotic treatment for superbugs, including ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae, leads to significant global morbidity and mortality.
- Current phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods are time-consuming and require laboratory equipment, hindering rapid clinical decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid, on-site phenotypic AST method for early detection of E. coli and K. pneumoniae.
- To enable sample-to-answer results within 2 hours directly from clinical samples without specialized laboratory infrastructure.
Main Methods:
- A plasmonic nanosensor was engineered to detect bacterial proliferation by catalyzing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
- The assay utilizes visual naked-eye detection, smartphone digitization, and ultraviolet-visible spectrometry for result validation.
- The nanosensor was tested directly on uncultured clinical urine samples.
Main Results:
- The assay achieved high diagnostic accuracy with area under the curve values of 0.9752 for E. coli and 1 for K. pneumoniae.
- Detection times were rapid: 100 minutes for E. coli and 85 minutes for K. pneumoniae, from sample collection to result.
- The method demonstrated feasibility for direct use with clinical urine samples.
Conclusions:
- The developed plasmonic nanosensor platform enables rapid, on-site AST for common superbugs.
- This technology can significantly improve patient outcomes by facilitating timely and appropriate antibiotic selection.
- The platform offers a practical solution to reduce the burden of superbug infections and mitigate antibiotic abuse.
