Research Projects

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat, making it harder to treat common infections with empirical antibiotics. Traditional culture-based AST techniques, such as disk diffusion and broth microdilution, have long turn-around times and require a well-qualified clinical microbiologist. To reduce analysis time and improve sensitivity, methods like flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction, mass spectrometry, and optical-based growth measuring devices have been proposed. However, these methods have limitations, such as the need for sophisticated instruments and complex operating procedures. There is an urgent need to develop a rapid and accurate point-of-care AST kit that enables evidence-based prescription of antibiotics and tackles the ongoing rise of AMR. The proposed method involves employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a microfluidic chip for a rapid and sensitive AST detection system. The device will print an electrode on a glass slide, mold it on a silicon wafer, and attach it to a PDMS chip. The sample containing bacteria will be passed through the device, and the impedance characteristic of bacterial cells will be explored for susceptibility testing. The proposed device can detect the efficacy of an antibiotic within 1-2 hours, reducing detection time and answering fundamental questions about the conductivity of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and how bacteria acquired resistance over time.