Luísa Peixe and Ângela Novais, leader and researcher of the BacT_Drugs Lab at UCIBIO-FFUP, respectively, have received funding from international agencies to develop, validate, and implement Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy on an international scale aiming to accelerate bacterial identification and infection diagnosis through a quick, easy, and more affordable methodology.
A project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Grand Challenges 2022 program aims primarily to implement the methodology in a pediatric microbiology laboratory in Bangladesh. Rapid identification of major pathogens in blood cultures is a key objective, enabling quicker results to support diagnosis, treatment, and infection control. The project, which includes UCIBIO resaerchers from the BacT_Drugs Lab at UCIBIO-FFUP, stems from a partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK and the Child Health Research Foundation in Bangladesh, with additional collaboration from Perkin-Elmer in providing FTIR equipment to the involved partners.
Funding provided by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) aims to validate the use of the methodology for the precise and faster identification of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strains. It involves partners from leading Public Health institutes in Europe, namely the Statens Serum Institute (Copenhagen, Denmark) and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Bilthoven, Netherlands), with the aim of implementing a quick and efficient methodology for detecting outbreaks and controlling infection by multidrug-resistant E. coli in these centers.
FTIR Spectroscopy – A Technique to Accelerate the Diagnosis of Bacterial Infections
Subject to research by Luísa Peixe and Ângela Novais for several years, the application of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy allows for bacterial identification, akin to fingerprinting. By comparing the spectrum of microorganisms with previously identified ones, it is possible to find a match. This process accelerates diagnosis and, consequently, treatment.
There are alternative technologies, but they require specialized resources, and the response is not as quick. The UCIBIO team’s project, through the application of FTIR spectroscopy, significantly reduces the response time for diagnosis (currently several days), providing relevant information in less than 24 hours.
The work carried out so far has already identified significant outbreaks in Portuguese hospitals, the first of which was related to a multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae that affected several patients at Santos Silva Hospital in Gaia, in 2015. Currently, the methodology is being implemented in real-time at Pedro Hispano Hospital in Matosinhos, and these projects will help leverage the developed methodology and its use across Europe.
In the news:
"Dupla portuguesa quer cortar tempo para diagnosticar infecções bacterianas em um dia", Público
"Low-Cost Rapid Diagnostics and Typing for Clinical Microbiology Using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR)", Global Grand Challenges - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation