Simple and low-cost antibiotic susceptibility testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis using screen-printed electrodes

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Infectious Disease Research

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) affects a quarter of the global population, with 10% developing active disease.
• TB disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries, necessitating affordable diagnostic tools.
• Antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is crucial for effective TB treatment and preventing drug resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, user-friendly sensor for rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB).
• To enable faster diagnosis and guide prescribing practices for TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

Main Methods:

• Utilized screen-printed electrodes and standard molecular biology techniques.
• Developed a sensor detecting changes in RNA abundance for TB drug susceptibility.
• Tested sensor sensitivity with M. tuberculosis concentrations ranging from 10^8 to 10^3 CFU/mL.

Main Results:

• Achieved label-free molecular detection of TB sequences and antibiotic-treated vs. untreated cells.
• Determined the limit of detection (LOD) at 10^3.82 CFU/mL and limit of quantitation (LOQ) at 10^11.59 CFU/mL.
• Demonstrated rapid AST results within 96 hours for the slow-growing M. tuberculosis.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensor offers a promising low-cost, simple solution for TB AST.
• This technology can significantly impact TB diagnosis and treatment strategies, particularly for MDR-TB.
• Facilitates informed clinical decisions for TB management in resource-limited settings.