The manufacturing cost is Rs 608 whereas testing a sample costs Rs 8
A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, led by Dr Partho Sarathi Gooh Pattader, has developed an accurate, fast and reliable device for detecting specific bacteria which cause Urinary Tract infections (UTI).
The manufacturing cost is estimated to be Rs 608, whereas testing a single test sample will cost only Rs 8.
The details of the Point-Of-Care testing (POCT) prototype have been published in reputed peer-reviewed journal ACS Applied Bio Materials. Aniruddha Deb and Dr Partho Sarahthi Gooh pattader from IIT Guwahati were co-authors of the paper, as well as Prof. Tapas k Mandal and Dr Swapnil Singha from Altanostic Lab Private Limited IITG Research Park.
Urine culture is the conventional method to diagnose and detect specific bacteria. This takes two days at minimum. Doctors cannot treat UTI without knowing which bacteria is causing the infection. The delay in diagnosis can be a serious problem, as it could lead to the death of the patient if the UTI is not detected.
Explaining the significance of their Research which can provide a life-saving solution, Dr Pattader, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati said, “Early-stage detection of UTI is important to provide timely treatment. The Point-Of-Care Testing (POCT) prototype developed at IIT Guwahati is a photodetector that detects and quantifies a specific UTI-causing bacteria called ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae’ within five minutes from a patient’s urine sample. The detection of ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae’ is important not only because this bacteria is responsible for UTI, but also for pneumonia and for the infection of soft tissue”
This research was funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
Elaborating on the mechanism, Dr Pattader further said, “We have used gold nanoparticles with specifically-engineered aptamers. A 3D puzzle that only fits on a specific bacteria’s surface is an aptamer. The gold particles agglomerate and form a signature on the surface of bacteria. This signature can be detected with a UV Visible Spectrophotometer. ”
The biosensor prototype detects a change in the intensity of light when the aptamer-gold nanoparticles-bacteria come together. The detection process is rapid because aptamer-bacteria combination occurs instantly. The prototype has also been developed to be generic. The process is adaptable to different types of bacteria, and can make a significant contribution to primary healthcare.
Speaking on its end applications, Dr Sinha, Altanostic Lab, IIT Guwahati Research Park and collaborator of this research said “We have demonstrated and validated the results obtained from our device with the hospital results following conventional methods. It is very close. Thus, the technology can be optimized and transferred to a company for commercialization for the benefit of the society.”