105198Same-day Test for Antibiotic Resistance (STAR)ClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UK"The misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) is a significant global healthcare problem and a contributory factor to growing antibiotic resistance levels. UTIs are the most common non-intestinal infection in women worldwide (over 15-million new infections p.a.). In the UK they are the 3rd most common reason for emergency admission via A&E, with over 180,000 A&E admissions p.a., costing the NHS £434M (2013/14). Due to a delay of 3-days (or more) between sending suspected UTI samples off for hospital tests and receiving the diagnostic results back, doctors are forced to make an educated guess as to the nature of the infection and what the most effective antibiotic treatment might be. This guess is often incorrect and the infection resistant to the antibiotic prescribed. This leads to a worsening of the infection and can result in the patient being hospitalised, introducing short-term risks for patient health and long-term societal risks from growing antimicrobial resistance. Microbiosensor is developing a simple, disposable medical device to address this market need. The 'Same-day Test for Antibiotic Resistance' (STAR) we propose to develop with Innovate UK funding will miniaturise and simplify conventional hospital microbiology. STAR relies on a colour change reaction to signal the presence of live bacteria and combines i) a disposable 'cassette' device which processes the urine sample via a series of chemical reaction chambers and ii) a re-usable incubator instrument into which the cassettes are inserted, which automates the sample analysis and speeds diagnosis. Instead of sending samples off to the hospital lab, STAR will ""bring the lab to the patient"", in an easy-to-use format and at a fraction of the cost of existing analytical platforms. This will allow care homes, pharmacies and GP surgeries to benefit from 'same-day' diagnostic services: testing potential UTI samples and prescribing targeted antibiotic treatments if an infection is detected later that afternoon. A precision medicine approach to UTI treatment will therefore speed the time to an effective treatment, improve patient care and help preserve the dwindling arsenal of effective front-line antibiotic drugs."