Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Affinity Biosensors, LLC

Ken Babcock

Scott R Manalis

Subra Suresh

Thomas P Burg

Cynthia Schneider

System and Method for measuring the growth of a bacterial culture and its response to one or more antimicrobials using measurement of mass of individual microbes. Methods include periodic sampling, determining change in mass and concentration, and comparing growth rates of cultures in nutrient broth vs. mixtures containing various antibiotic mixtures. A number of antimicrobials can be compared in one measurement by multiplexing or using multiple sensors to measure in parallel. Growth and antibiotic efficacy can be assessed at low concentrations at the onset of growth, typically within 1 to 2 hours.

Measurement of cell growth and drug susceptibility by resonant mass measurement

The method and apparatus of the present invention detects changes in cell biomechanics caused by any of a variety of diseases and conditions. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus of the invention detect infection of red blood cells. In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus comprising a microfluidic channel with a constriction, for trapping infected red blood cells while allowing healthy red blood cells to deform and pass through the channel. In another embodiment, the invention comprises a suspended microchannel resonator for detecting and counting red blood cells at the constriction of the microfluidic channel.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Ken Babcock