Biosensors for simultaneous detection of multiple bacterial species MultiBact

Bacterial and viral infections include meningitis and septicaemia which are both serious, life-threatening illnesses. Patients who are suspected of having meningitis and/or septicaemia symptoms must be diagnosed and treated quickly, as it can become life threatening within a few hours. Accurate and fast diagnosis of these conditions can be difficult, therefore the availability of a simple electronic device able to diagnose the presence or absence of infecting bacteria in less than 20 minutes will be a significant step forward. This project is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of producing biosensors that will be able to simultaneously detect a broad range of bacterial species using a simple sample collection routes, e.g. a fingerprick blood test. A biosensor is a compact electronic device that detects bacteria and sends an electronic signal, thus giving a measurable reading if bacteria are present. In addition a commonly used general test for infection will be included in the biosensor. If the bacterial biosensor is positive and the infection biosensor is also positive then the infection is bacterial. Conversely if the bacterial biosensor is negative but the infection biosensor is positive, the infection is almost certainly viral in origin.