Fast blood test to quickly find bloodstream bacteria and the best antibiotics
Official title: Integrated genotype-informed single-cell molecular antibacterial susceptibility testing platform for rapid and actionable diagnosis of bacteremia
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11241965 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is creating a fast blood test that finds bacteria in the blood, identifies the species, measures how many are present, and shows which antibiotics are likely to work for people with suspected bacteremia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $678,966 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI183336-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11241965 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with suspected or confirmed bacteremia or sepsis who can provide blood samples during acute care, typically in a hospital or emergency department setting.
✕Less likely to help
People without bloodstream infections, those whose infections are caused by organisms not covered by the test, or patients unable to provide blood samples are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Imagine a blood test that finds bacteria directly without waiting for slow cultures. It would identify the bacterial species, measure how many bacteria are present, and use single-cell methods to show which antibiotics are likely to work. The platform is built to be flexible so your clinician can choose which bacteria and drugs to test depending on your situation. The aim is to give clear, actionable results much faster than current culture-based methods.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could get identification and antibiotic-susceptibility results in hours instead of days, enabling faster, targeted treatment and less unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
How similar studies have gone: Some molecular diagnostics already speed up identification, but combining broad species detection with rapid single-cell antibiotic susceptibility testing is largely new and has limited patient-based validation so far.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Tza-Huei Jeff — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Wang, Tza-Huei Jeff
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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.