Scientists from the University of Oxford in the U.K. have designed a computer program that can analyze bacterial DNA from a patient's infection in less than three minutes and anticipate which antibiotic will work best to cure the infection.
The tool — called the Mykrobe Predictor software — was developed to be used on a laptop or tablet without the need for any specialist expertise. Once a bacterial sample has been cultured and its DNA sequenced, the software can analyze the genetic code in a matter of minutes.
The program was already tested using 4,500 patient samples. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows the program was able to identify antibiotic resistance in two dangerous bacterial infections: Staphylococcus aureus and tuberculosis.
Now, Mykrobe Predictor is being tested in three U.K. hospitals to see whether it has the potential to accelerate the diagnosis of drug-resistant infections and help physicians better target antibiotic prescriptions.
"Genome sequencing has the potential to transform the way we diagnose and treat bacterial infections in NHS hospitals, but one of the main challenges is developing the right tools to enable us to unlock this information quickly and affordably," said co-author Derrick Crook. "Our ultimate goal is to be able to provide complete information on a pathogen within 24 hours of culture, linking this information to a national surveillance database to enable more timely and better targeted patient treatment."
To check out how the program works, watch the video below.
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