FWO-FRQ: ENERGISE

Full Name: nExt-geNEration Rapid phenotypic bacterioloGy dIagnostics for low-reSource and rEmote settings

Duration: 1/1/2024-31/12/2026

Partners:

• Institute of Tropical Medicine
• Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre

Objective:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global threat, particularly in low-resource settings (LRS) like sub-Saharan Africa. Alas, diagnosing bacterial infections and preventing AMR is hampered by a lack of feasible diagnostic tests, like blood culture diagnostics. Current methods are exceedingly complex to implement in the settings where the crisis of AMR is already most acute. To address this, a partnership between the Institute of Tropical Medicine and Ghent University has developed a simple and affordable device called the turbidimeter. Additionally, McGill University has created the QolorPhAST platform, which rapidly determines bacterial susceptibility phenotypes to antibiotics. The ENERGISE project aims to develop and combine these technologies to create a powerful and modular bacteriology system. This system will allow detection and identification of bacteria from blood cultures and provide rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing directly from incubated blood. The goal is to drastically improve diagnostic capabilities in low-resource and remote areas, where AMR is a present-day emergency. These advancements will bridge a crucial obstacle to identifying infections and selecting appropriate antibiotic treatments.

INTEC's Role:

• Improve and build the turbidimeter.

People involved

• Roel Baets
• Yanlu Li
• Jens Cornelis