This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase II project is for the development of an inexpensive, rapid, high-accuracy test for the detection and identification of the pathogens that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). Currently, UTI diagnosis is an expensive and lengthy process that often results in patients given unnecessary or ineffective antibiotics. This pathogen detection system utilizes highly dispersible polyaniline nanofibers that bind to markers in urine to generate a visible change in solution with the appearance of nanofiber aggregates. Versions of this test will be optimized for UTI detection, leukocyte detection and pathogen identification. An array of nanofibers functionalized for detection of different bacterial markers will be used for demonstration of pathogen identification.
The broader impacts of this research are increased access to accurate tests for pathogen identification, healthcare cost reduction and reduction of antibiotic resistance. The low cost and ease of this test will allow patients to get diagnosed expeditiously, and then treated properly using species-directed medication rather than broad antibiotic coverage. This will have a great impact on decelerating the rise of antibiotic resistance. This test also has potential with future development in other target detection applications such as food/water testing and meningitis. Researchers may also benefit from this development as an alternative to more expensive and slower routes for identification of pathogens like culture. The overall cost reduction associated with this method of marker detection may also increase access to better infection diagnosis and treatment to lower income populations and patients in third world countries.
