SBIR Phase I: Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)Phase I proposes to develop a new method for antibiotic susceptibility testing having unparalleled speed and simplicity. The technical approach is based on a novel implementation of impedance sensing to monitor cellular growth with unprecedented sensitivity and stability. This enables results to be obtained directly from bacterial suspensions in less than one hour with a simple, inexpensive, and easy to use device ideally suited for mass production. This method avoids the need for growing cultures reducing the time from sample collection to complete diagnosis by weeks compared to currently used methods. In this Phase I project, the feasibility of the proposed diagnostic tool with antimicrobial drug resistant strains of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis will be demonstrated. The commercial application of the proposed product will be as an in-office medical diagnostic. A low-cost and easy-to-use rapid and specific monitor of biological samples has broad application throughout the microbiological testing industry. Specific large markets include rapid techniques for urinary tract infections, testing of mycobacteria, and testing of biological threat agents.