bioMerieux collaborates with UK University on PA identification

A team of researchers from the University of Sunderland, UK, and bioMerieux, a leading French company in the field of in vitro diagnostics, have achieved a new step in the fight against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium responsible for deadly health care-associated infections, which kills tens of thousands of people throughout the world every year1.

Researchers at the University's Pharmacy School, Paul Groundwater and Roz Anderson, in collaboration with John Perry of Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, Arthur James of Northumbria University and Sylvain Orenga of bioMerieux have discovered a new technique for the highly specific detection of P. aeruginosa, which primarily infects the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. It is also a major cause of infection among patients with immune deficiencies, such as patients with AIDS and cancer or those suffering from burns.

Known as a "superbug," P. aeruginosa is very difficult to cure as it is highly resistant to antibiotics. Early detection makes a huge difference to a patient's chances of survival and the research team's discovery increases the accuracy and speed of detection of the bacteria to within 24-48 hours.