Speedy antibiotic susceptibility tests for high-priority pathogens (IMAGE)

PLOS

Speedy antibiotic susceptibility tests for high-priority pathogens

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The two new PLOS Biology publications describe two unique diagnostic methods to determine phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility. The polymerase-accessibility antibiotic susceptibility test (pol-aAST) uses a polymerase to amplify DNA made accessible after beta-lactam treatment. The pol-aAST was tested on samples containing Enterobacteriaceae species, which are priority pathogens because of the rise in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). The nuclease-accessibility antibiotic susceptibility test (nuc-aAST) uses DNase, a DNA-degrading enzyme, to digest DNA that becomes accessible after beta-lactam treatment. The nuc-aAST was validated on samples containing the pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae, an "urgent threat" as categorized by the Centers for Disease Control. Each AST method is rapid, only requiring 15-30 min of incubation with the antibiotic, and each uses DNA as the readout, making the method pathogen-specific.

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Emily Savela

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