Rapid Electrochemical Detection of New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase Genes To Enable Point-of-Care Testing of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae

The alarming rate at which antibiotic resistance is occurring in human pathogens causes a pressing need for improved diagnostic technologies aimed at rapid detection and point-of-care testing to support quick decision making regarding antibiotic therapy and patient management. Here, we report the successful development of an electrochemical biosensor to detect blaNDM, the gene encoding the emerging New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, using label-free electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The presence of this gene is of critical concern because organisms harboring blaNDM tend to be multiresistant, leaving very few treatment options. For the EIS assay, we used a blaNDM-specific PNA probe that was designed by applying a new approach that combines in silico probe design and fluorescence-based DNA microarray validation with electrochemical testing on gold screen-printed electrodes. The assay was successfully demonstrated for synthetic targets (LOD = 10 nM), PCR products (LOD = 100 pM), and direct, amplification-free detection from a blaNDM-harboring plasmid. The biosensor's specificity, preanalytical requirements, and performance under ambient conditions were demonstrated and successfully proved its suitability for further point-of-care test development.