Multiplexed, rapid phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing based on angle-resolved light scattering imaging of...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Urgent need for rapid, high-throughput phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST).
• Current methods lack speed and throughput for timely clinical decisions.
• Assessing susceptibility to multiple antibiotics simultaneously is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• Establish a multiplexed rapid AST platform for high-throughput single-cell analysis.
• Utilize droplet microfluidics, light scattering, and fluorescence detection.
• Enable rapid determination of antibiotic resistance profiles.

Main Methods:

• Employing droplet microfluidics for single-cell encapsulation and multiplexed antibiotic testing.
• Using 2D angle-resolved light scattering for real-time microbial growth detection.
• Coding antibiotic conditions with fluorescence dyes and employing CNNs for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Achieved 95% categorical agreement with disc diffusion after 3 hours.
• Demonstrated comparable accuracy to VITEK 2 system.
• Reduced incubation time by 5-17 hours compared to existing methods.

Conclusions:

• The developed platform represents a significant advancement in phenotypic AST.
• Enables timely antimicrobial treatment decisions through rapid resistance profiling.
• Paves the way for personalized medicine in infectious disease management.