# Instant Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test

> **NIH NIH R43** · LENIMA FIELD DIAGNOSTICS, LLC · 2020 · $252,128

## Abstract

In the U.S., each year 2 million people are seriously infected by bacteria resistant to
antibiotics designed to treat their infections. The cost of antibiotic resistance was estimated to
exceed $35 B. Nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) including catheter-related BSIs, are
important causes of patient morbidity and mortality. The annual incidence of BSIs is >750,000
cases with a 30% mortality rate, and the proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing BSIs
is increasing. Increasing rates of multidrug-resistant bacteria require use of broad-spectrum
antibiotics to avoid inadequate antibiotic coverage, but these drugs are often expensive, and
their use promotes bacterial resistance. Rapid initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy is
strongly associated with decreased mortality rates in BSIs. In contrast, inappropriate antibiotic
therapy and 3 hr delay in antibiotic administration after septicemia diagnosis have been
associated with higher patient mortality. All antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) today
are to place patients with BSIs and other infection types on targeted appropriate antibiotic
therapy based on AST results as quickly as possible. Rapid delivery of definitive antimicrobial
susceptibility testing (AST) results is key to allow minimal use of broad-spectrum therapy and
effective appropriate antibiotic regimen.
 At Linima Field Diagnostics, we have developed an instant antimicrobial susceptibility
test (iAST) using piezoelectric plate sensors (PEPSs) that offers unparalleled speed (in 20 min)
and sensitivities. Live bacteria coated on the PEPS surface can instantly broadens the top of the
resonance peak of the PEPS due to the metabolic stresses generated by the bacteria, which is
instantly reduced by the application of an antibiotic. A novel PEPS iAST was engineered by
monitoring the decrease of the width of the top of the resonance peak of live bacteria-coated
PEPS with an increasing antibiotic concentration. The goal is to demonstrate PEPS iAST in 20
min to both susceptible and resistant bacteria regardless they are fast or slowing growing.
Preliminary results showed that PEPS iAST accurately determined antibiotic minimum inhibitory
concentrations (MICs) for both susceptible and resistant Escherichia coli (EC) or
Staphylococcus aureus (SA) but also for slow-growing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) and in 20
min. It is expected that PEPS iAST when developed will permit early application of appropriate
antibiotic therapy to not only save lives and but also decrease antibiotic resistance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10010469
- **Project number:** 1R43AI152716-01
- **Recipient organization:** LENIMA FIELD DIAGNOSTICS, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Pawan Rao
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $252,128
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-12 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10010469

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10010469, Instant Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test (1R43AI152716-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10010469. Licensed CC0.

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