Quorum Sensing (QS) is the mechanism of chemical communication between bacteria. Researchers are deciphering this language in order to create tools such as this diagnostic kit that is developing a group from IQAC-CSIC, supported by a grant from the EBTon CSIC entrepreneurship award.
The kit is a prototype that makes it possible to detect bacterial infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 10 minutes and thus obtain a faster and more accurate patient diagnosis.
The project for a diagnostic kit for infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa has won the EBTon CSIC entrepreneurship programme award, held a few weeks ago at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), in Valencia.
The project led by Prof. M.Pilar Marco was presented by Carla Ferrero, J.Pablo Salvador and Francesc Bejarano, researchers from the Nanobiotechnology for Diagnostics (Nb4D) group at the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC).
The kit consists of a prototype that makes it possible to detect bacterial infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 10 minutes and thus obtain a faster and more accurate patient diagnosis.
‘We have developed a technology based on the detection of Quorum Sensing molecules for the rapid diagnosis of bacterial infections of the lower respiratory tract,’ said Carla Ferrero. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a highly prevalent bacterium in pathologies such as pneumonia, otitis or cystic fibrosis.
Each bacterium has its own language
Quorum Sensing (QS) is the term used to refer to the mechanism of chemical communication between bacteria by which they regulate the expression of their genes to coordinate and synchronise in order to cause infection.
QS also controls the expression of virulence factors that may include toxins, destructive enzymes, adhesins and other components that facilitate host invasion and colonisation. Pathogenic bacteria only express their virulence factors when there is a sufficiently high cell density (if there is sufficient ‘quorum’). Moreover, the characteristics of this mechanism and the molecules secreted vary according to the bacterial species.
QS also promotes the formation of biofilms (bacterial communities attached to surfaces), which confer increased resistance to antibiotics. An example is that of patients with cystic fibrosis, where Pseudomonas aeruginosa is found attached to lung tissue forming biofilms, which contributes to the chronification of these infections and makes the treatment more difficult.
Conventional methods for detecting P. aeruginosa infections can take several days, which is too long for critically ill patients. In contrast, the QS-based strategy is a gateway to a rapid diagnosis and a better understanding of bacterial infectious processes. Early and accurate diagnosis supports the rational use of antibiotics, helping to combat bacterial resistance.
EBTon CSIC is a ‘hackathon’ initiative that seeks to promote entrepreneurship and foster knowledge transfer through the creation of Technology-Based Companies. A total of 21 teams with CSIC research staff from all areas of knowledge applied for 2024. Through this grant, the group aims to advance in the development of a kit that can reach the market for the detection of infections caused by P. aeruginosa.