RAPPIDS-Rapid Assay of Pathogens with a Portable Immunosensor for Diagnosing Sepsis

Sepsis is a life threatening condition that arises when the body's response to an infection injures its own tissues & organs. An estimated 18 million people worldwide are affected by sepsis annually and In the UK the economic burden is huge with sepsis being responsible for more deaths than breast & bowel cancer combined. No clinically useful diagnostic for sepsis currently exists. This project will develop a point-of-care diagnostic assay that will allow rapid identification of the pathogen(s) responsible for the underlying infection, as well as measure levels of several key host markers, allowing the progression of the condition to be closely monitored. In turn, this will allow for the most appropriate treatments to be started at the earliest possible opportunity, leading to improved patient outcomes.