AI Nanopores Confront Antibiotic-Resistant Infections
The COVID-19 pandemic made the threat of viruses feel very real to all of us. However, an even more serious global challenge is posed by bacterial infections. In particular, infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, against which conventional antibiotics are no longer effective, have become a critical worldwide issue.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that if countermeasures against antibiotic resistance are not strengthened, infections caused by resistant bacteria could surpass cancer as the leading cause of death by 2050.
The current standard method for bacterial testing is culture-based analysis, which typically requires about one week to obtain results. However, when an infection is suspected, identifying the causative bacterium and administering the appropriate medication as quickly as possible can be a matter of life and death. Rapid identification of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is especially critical, yet no testing method has existed that is both fast and cost-effective.
To address this challenge, we are advancing research and development to apply AI Nanopore technology to bacterial diagnostics.