Bacterial pathogens pose serious health risks, especially for infants, young children, elderly and those with compromised immune systems. The evolution of drug-resistant bacteria is particularly concerning in the fight against disease. A research team in Canada is exploring a new platform for detecting pathogenic bacteria using bacteriophages, viruses that use bacteria as their host.
During the AVS 63rd International Symposium and Exhibition being held November 6-11, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn., Stephane Evoy, an applied physicist from the University of Alberta, will explain how the team recognized the limited reliability of antibodies in providing bacteria detection with specificity. Instead they used phage-derived proteins, proteins developed from the bacteria-invading viruses, for detection of pathogenic bacteria to address this deficiency. This work has implications not only in disease diagnosis, but also in food and water safety.
“The high specificity of phages offers a potent alternative for the targeting of pathogens," Evoy said. "More specifically, recombinant phage-receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) responsible for phage-host specificity can be used as biological probes and present numerous advantages over the use of a whole phage."
The study used skim cow milk spiked with different phages or combinations of phages, such as mycobacteria (MAP) and Escherichia coli cells, and a unique process to capture the DNA after incubation. The entire process took less than 24 hours and resulted in significantly better sensitivity of detecting targeted DNA.
“The use of phage-derived proteins in such a manner was quite unique when we started that work back in 2005, but since then the approach thrived, and multinational companies integrated this into their product line,” Envoy said. “However, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of applying the technology to diseases such as tuberculosis and staphylococcus infections.”
In addition to demonstrating this capture technique, the research team designed and developed a sophisticated bacteria detector comprised of an array of microresonators, able to enumerate bacteria over a large area and detect the attachment of a single cell anywhere on the array. The devices were prepared with their phage proteins, adding this high specificity of detection to the spatial precision offered by the array design.
“We are looking forward to adapting this technology for the rapid diagnosis of drug-resistant bacteria,” Evoy said. “It could go a long way toward make microbial testing methods both more rapid and affordable.”
Source: AVS: Science Array Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing
Dear Helpdesk: Working in a Toxic Health Care Environment
March 28th 2024Dear Helpdesk is your steadfast companion, offering life coaching and workplace advice from 2 seasoned IPs for some of your most challenging real-life situations. Let us help you navigate the intersection between work and life, guiding you to navigate the dynamic world of infection prevention with confidence and grace. This article is on handling a toxic health care environment.
Product Locator: Spring and Early Mother's Day Gift Guide for Infection Prevention Personnel
March 27th 2024Whether it's a spring holiday, birthdays, or no reason at all, infection prevention personnel love to give and receive gifts that help at the end of a stressful day. Infection Control Today® offers some gift ideas for infection prevention personnel and their families.
Catching Up With Vangie Dennis, AORN 2022-2023 President at AORN 2024
March 26th 2024Infection Control Today (ICT) had the privilege of catching up with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN’s) International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024. As the former president of AORN and an esteemed figure in perioperative services, Vangie Dennis shared insights into her recent endeavors and the exciting new chapter she's embarked upon.
How To Optimize Your Time Management Strategies for the Busy Infection Preventionist
March 25th 2024Is your calendar resembling a chaotic masterpiece of overlapping tasks? Join the club of infection preventionists striving to balance responsibilities. Dive into proven strategies from a fellow infection preventionist to reclaim control of your time, streamline tasks, and boost productivity effectively. This is an IP Lifeline article.