# Evolving the standard of care for carbapenem resistant infections, through the development of a phenotypic assay capable of DETECTing and classifying carbapenemases

> **NIH NIH R43** · BIOAMP DIAGNOSTICS, INC. · 2024 · $243,806

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Carbapenem resistant organisms (CRO) have been designated by the CDC as an urgent threat to
human health. Specifically, species of Enterobacteriaceae, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii that render
resistance to carbapenems through the production of degradative β-lactamase enzymes, known as
carbapenemases, are associated with high mortality rates and require stringent infection control
measures. Unlike non-carbapenemase-producing CROs, CROs that mediate carbapenem resistance
through the production of carbapenemases (CPOs) contain plasmids encoding for these degradative
enzymes that can be transmitted among pathogenic bacteria, making containment of these organisms
of high priority. Further, CPOs are commonly multidrug resistant, increasing the probability of treatment
failure.
Unfortunately, commercially tests available to detect and characterize CPOs are standalone tests that
are not performed until after standard AST results are available. This segmented diagnostic workflow
can extend the time to CPO detection to 2-7 days. As a results, CPO-related infections can cost
healthcare centers $22,484 to $66,031 per patient. Therefore, a diagnostic test that could be integrated
into standard AST panel/systems to offer susceptibility results and CPO confirmation and classification
information simultaneously would inform treatment selection and infection control measures days
sooner. Herein, we propose the development of a biochemical assay powered by DETECT (Dual-
Enzyme Trigger-Enabled Cascade Technology) to offer the first CPO identification and classification
test compatible with automated AST systems.
DETECT is comprised of targeting and signaling tiers which can be individually modified. The targeting
tier features a small molecule probe that mimics the structure of β-lactam antibiotics, with each unique
probe displaying distinct recognition for variants and/or classes of these degradative enzymes. We have
demonstrated our capacity to synthetically modify the small molecule probe to capture variants of
extended spectrum-β-lactamases, and the objectives described herein represent two independent
methods of tuning DETECT to capture carbapenemases-producing organisms.
If successful, the test formats produced in Aims 1 and 2 would represent unique and/or combination
products, which would be optimized for use with a specific AST system in a Phase II project. The final
desired test - an AST panel/plate with carbapenemase-targeting DETECT components integrated into
the wells, would streamline existing clinical workflows, expedite care delivery to patients, and accelerate
infection control de-escalation measures.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10830205
- **Project number:** 1R43AI181482-01
- **Recipient organization:** BIOAMP DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Nicole Jackson
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $243,806
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-04-02 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10830205

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10830205, Evolving the standard of care for carbapenem resistant infections, through the development of a phenotypic assay capable of DETECTing and classifying carbapenemases (1R43AI181482-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10830205. Licensed CC0.

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