Biosensor Chips to detect Urinary Tract Infections

Professor Joseph C. Liao from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has produced a new biosensor diagnostics which helps in early detection of Urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infection is caused by gram negative bacteria which colonizes the urinary tract and causes bacterial infection. Bacterial culture which is used for identification of bacteria takes about 2-3 days to find the responsible pathogenic bacteria and to find out which antibiotics are sensitive in killing the bacteria by using antibiotic sensitivity tests and still the sensitivity pattern is identified the doctor cant wait without treating the patient and usually prescribes a battery of antibiotics soon after he finds the symptoms of urinary tract infection. These unnecessary antibiotics can lead to side effects in humans and is also responsible for developing bacterial resistance.

The new biosensor diagnostic device as been found to detect accurately urinary tract infecting bacteria from urine samples and the researchers have reported their study results in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. The biosensor detects the bacteria specifically and identifies also the involved strains in a mixed culture in urine sample, the biosensor as specific genetic probes which on specific attachment by the bacteria activates the electrochemical signals causing an elevated level in the sensor which is estimated accurately and this research work is funded with $ 5.6 million by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.