The potential for a rapid, field-deployable, automated biosensor detection system for pathogens - Dr Rosalie Multari and Dr John Waite

Hospital acquired infections (HAI), often referred to as ‘superbugs’, are never far from the news. MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) leads the way in press coverage but is just one of a growing group of bacteria that can cause diseases with increasingly limited therapeutic options. Organisms with resistant strains include vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Clostridium difficile (C. diff), and numerous enterococcal isolates with plasmid-mediated gentamicin resistance and vancomycin resistance. At a time of rising levels of MRSA and other hospital acquired infections, rapid and reliable detection would offer an important safeguard to patients and staff alike.

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a spectroscopic analysis technique in which a focused laser pulse is directed onto a target. Whether a solid, liquid, or gas, the energy from the pulse vaporises, atomises and ionises the target material to form a micro-plasma, which emits light as a result of relaxation of electrons from excited to lower energy states. The spectral signature of the plasma holds the characteristic optical fingerprint of the individual elements within the target.