Quickly Finding the Right Antibiotic for Infections
Rapid AST through Metabolic Imaging at Single Cell Level
This project is creating a fast way to discover which antibiotics will work best against a patient's infection, helping doctors choose the right medicine sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11092931 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
When you have an infection, it's crucial to know quickly which antibiotic will work best. This research is developing a new imaging technique that can rapidly show how bacteria and fungi respond to different medicines, often within hours. By looking at individual cells, we can see if an antibiotic is effective much faster than current methods. The goal is to make this technology more precise, easier for hospitals to use, and capable of testing many antibiotics at once, ensuring you get the most effective treatment without delay.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational work aims to benefit any patient who develops a bacterial or fungal infection, especially those needing rapid and accurate antibiotic susceptibility testing.
Not a fit: Patients whose conditions are not caused by bacterial or fungal infections would not directly benefit from this specific method.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this technology could help patients get the right antibiotic treatment much faster, leading to quicker recovery and a stronger fight against antibiotic resistance.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work under an earlier grant has shown initial success with this imaging approach, but this renewed effort aims to overcome remaining challenges for clinical use.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University (Charles River Campus) — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cheng, Ji-Xin — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Cheng, Ji-Xin
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 below.