Image created by Dr. Michael J. Miller
Approximately 4 million patients in the European Union acquire healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) or nosocomial infections each year, with around 37,000 deaths directly resulting from these infections, making them a significant cause of mortality. Microorganisms contracted in hospitals are frequently resistant to many common antibiotics. By 2050, the number of deaths caused by drug-resistant infections is projected to rise to 10 million worldwide, posing a serious public health challenge. Early detection of nosocomial infections and effective disinfection of hospitals and healthcare facilities are crucial to reducing these numbers, but current methods have limitations. Researchers are now developing a bio-based disinfectant to eliminate key pathogens responsible for HAIs, integrated into a new, flexible, and portable biosensor platform.
The biosensor platform being developed by a collaborative team of researchers, including from AIMPLAS - Plastics Technology Centre (Valencia, Spain;) under the NOSOSENS Project, uses printed electrochemical sensors for rapid, selective detection of Staphylococcus aureus, a methicillin-resistant bacterium responsible for 11% of nosocomial infections. The standard method currently used in hospitals to prevent these infections involves pathogen detection through cell culture microscopy, with results typically available in four to five days. The NOSOSENS portable electrochemical biosensor platform, however, offers immediate, specific detection and quantification of bacteria from the Staphylococcus aureus family. The system will also feature data monitoring, management, and alert capabilities.
A key challenge with current cleaning products is that pathogens' antimicrobial resistance renders many disinfectants less effective. Stronger disinfectants, such as peracetic acid, are often required, but they can cause long-term surface damage and are unsuitable for daily use in healthcare settings. The NOSOSENS solution, however, is both highly biocidal and bio-based, making it biodegradable, less aggressive, and more environmentally friendly. The innovations will be tested using a portable, user-friendly system for early bacterial detection by healthcare personnel, alongside an effective and sustainable pathogen elimination system for surgical tools and surfaces. By integrating with the sensor platform, this system will optimize disinfection processes, improving safety against hospital-acquired infections. It will also enable rapid tracing, control, and elimination of surface colonization, reducing risks associated with hospital stays.