Affordable detection of drug-resistant Pseudomonas in eyedrops and local samples
Official title: Surveillance of drug-resistant bacteria in resource-limited settings: a focus on cost-effective long-read sequencing of eyedrop-associated P. aeruginosa and locally sourced metagenomic samples
Funded at California State University Fresno · NIH-11181158 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests low-cost DNA sequencing to find drug-resistant Pseudomonas in contaminated eyedrops and nearby environmental samples for communities with limited lab resources.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California State University Fresno NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Fresno, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $175,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16AI184350-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181158 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people, clinics, or community sites that have used preservative-free eyedrops or are in areas where contaminated products or local bacterial infections are suspected.
✕Less likely to help
People without exposure to eyedrops or those needing immediate individual medical treatment are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from this surveillance project.
What this research studies
If I'm worried about contaminated preservative-free eyedrops or local infections, this project will set up affordable long-read DNA sequencing at community sites to look for drug-resistant Pseudomonas and related bacteriophages. The team will use compact Flongle sequencers that can run small assays for under $100 per run to assemble bacterial and phage genomes from eyedrop-associated and locally sourced metagenomic samples. The approach is a pilot of a decentralized surveillance system aimed at resource-limited settings so tests can be done quickly and cheaply near where people live. Results would help local health workers spot outbreaks sooner and guide safer product handling and infection control.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable faster, cheaper detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in eyedrops and local environments, improving outbreak response and product safety in underserved areas.
How similar studies have gone: Long-read nanopore sequencing has been used to track outbreaks and assemble bacterial genomes before, but using very low-cost Flongle runs for decentralized surveillance of eyedrop contamination is a relatively new application.
Where this research is happening
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California State University Fresno
Fresno, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shim, Hyunjin — California State University Fresno
- Study coordinator: Shim, Hyunjin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.