92 Year-Old Researcher Develops Kits for Identifying Antibiotic Resistant Infections

◼ A 92-year-old scientist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has invented a kit that enables the immediate detection of drug-resistant bacteria, one of the major concerns of organizations like the World Health Organization.

Real time alerts for doctors - The kits are modular, disposable arrays of spots impregnated with several types of antibiotics. The exact combination can be easily varied according to need. Unprocessed samples of any specimen to be tested are placed directly on the array spots, which are then covered by a lid containing a dark indicator dye. If the sample contains bacteria that can destroy the antibiotic impregnated in a particular spot, the dark indicator dye facing that spot becomes lighter, exposing the antibiotic resistance within minutes.

The kits will thus alert doctors to the presence of a bacterial infection, warn which antibiotics will be futile and inform which, if any, still constitute a treatment option.

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