Guwahati: A team of researchers led by Dr Partho Sarathi Gooh Pattader at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) has developed a groundbreaking device to detect specific bacteria causing Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in a fast, accurate, and reliable manner.
The Point-Of-Care testing (POCT) prototype, detailed in a publication in the renowned peer-reviewed journal ACS Applied Bio Materials, offers a cost-effective solution for UTI detection. Manufacturing the device is estimated at Rs. 608, with each sample test costing just Rs. 8.
UTIs are a widespread health concern, particularly affecting females during pregnancy, caused by various bacteria. Common symptoms include burning sensation during urination and frequent urges to urinate. If left untreated and the infection spreads to the kidneys, it can lead to severe health complications. However, in many rural areas, UTI cases go undetected due to limited infrastructure and high testing costs.
The conventional method to diagnose UTIs is urine culture, which takes at least two days for results. This delay in detection can be critical, as timely administration of antibiotics is crucial for effective treatment.
The research team’s POCT prototype is a photodetector capable of detecting and quantifying a specific UTI-causing bacteria, ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae,’ within just five minutes from a patient’s urine sample. Notably, this bacteria is responsible not only for UTIs but also for pneumonia and soft tissue infections.
Funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) of the Government of India, the innovative device utilises gold nanoparticles with engineered aptamers. These aptamers fit precisely on the surface of the targeted bacteria, ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae,’ leading to agglomeration of gold nanoparticles, creating a unique signature detectable by a UV-Visible Spectrophotometer.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
The biosensor prototype’s mechanism allows for rapid detection due to instant combination of aptamers and bacteria. Additionally, the process is tunable for different types of bacteria, making it highly valuable for primary healthcare.
Dr. Swapnil Sinha from Altanostic Lab Private Limited, IIT Guwahati Research Park, and collaborator on this project, emphasised the device’s potential applications, stating that the results obtained from the device matched well with hospital results following conventional methods. This paves the way for optimising the technology and its commercialization to benefit society at large.
Also Read | Assam oppn seeks probe into Bajrang Dal arms training camp