The potential for a rapid, field-deployable, automated biosensor detection system for pathogens

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.