Development of a rapid, point of care screening test for Staphylococcus aureus for acute patient admissions

Modified Screening Guidance provided to the NHS removes the mandatory element of screening for MRSA. Commentary on the proposal from 4 hospital infection control groups suggest change away from universal screening can be expected to lead to a greater number of undetected MRSA patients, with a potentially greater transmission risk. This project develops Kingston University’s patent-pending fluorescence probe (LGX) that can detect SA at low bacterial concentration within 30 minutes, without the need for microbiological culturing and at a reduced cost. It will develop the technology from a bench test to a prototype assay validated by means of a clinical/usability study.