University of Michigan, United States, researchers have developed a way to measure the growth and drug susceptibility of individual bacteria cells without the use of a microscope – a development that promises to speed treatment of bacterial infections. This new biosensor, called an asynchronous magnetic bead rotation (AMBR) sensor, would allow clinicians to determine within minutes the antibiotic best able to treat the infection. This advance could improve patient outcome, reduce healthcare costs and reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance. The device can monitor the growth of a single bacterium throughout its life cycle, and can also determine when an individual bacterium stops growing, in response to treatment with an antibacterial drug, for instance. According to graduate student Paivo Kinnunen, one of the paper’s lead authors, “[Y]ou can basically tell, within minutes, whether or not the antibiotic is working.” The technology could also be used for monitoring the growth and drug susceptibility of other types of cells, and could have far-reaching implications. Brandon McNaughton, chief technological officer for Life Magnetics Inc., which is further developing the device, said the product “…will have a dramatic positive impact for patients and for the health system, cutting costs and saving lives. Inappropriate therapy and the overuse of antimicrobials are large contributors to the problem of increased resistance in bacteria. In fact, with superbugs such as MRSA causing every year in the U.S. more deaths than HIV/AIDS, it is no surprise that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers antimicrobial resistance to be among the most pressing health problems. Our technology is designed to attack that problem.”