Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of human illness, and has developed the remarkable ability to resist the
bactericidal capabilities of many of the world's leading antibiotics (i.e. MRSA). In an effort to enable rapid detection
and treatment of MRSA infections, we have developed a DNA detection technology termed the NanoLantern(TM). The
NanoLantern(TM) biosensor technology is based on the simple immobilization of a fluorophore-terminated DNA hairpin
onto a gold chip. This produces a label-free sensor that allows for a positive response to be obtained without extensive
processing of the sample, saving cost and increasing accuracy. We will also discuss a newly developed method of
partial gene analysis, used to develop a DNA hairpin probe that is capable of detecting the presence of the mecR gene, a
gene necessary for methicillin resistance to be present in S. aureus, with 100% sequence specificity. The successful
incorporation of this probe into the NanoLantern(TM) platform, along with the concomitant development of the paired PCR
assay has allowed for the successful detection of methicillin-resistance directly from a culture of S. aureus. These
results represent an important step forward in terms of developing the ability to rapidly and effectively detect the
presence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections.
Conference Committee Involvement (2)
Frontiers in Pathogen Detection: From Nanosensors to Systems
23 January 2010 | San Francisco, California, United States
Frontiers in Pathogen Detection: From Nanosensors to Systems
24 January 2009 | San Jose, California, United States
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.