With SPEAR we aim to give doctors a new method for the detection of antibiotic resistance. This method is supposed to be faster and more precise so in case of a bacterial infection the prescribed antibiotic will be the right one in the first attempt.
With SPEAR we are the first iGEM team to use a novel approach relying on split ribozymes to detect specific RNA sequences present in a target cell. We are using the system to detect highly, constantly expressed bacteria specific RNAs and other resistance genes. Due to the modularity of the system and freedom in the design of the guideRNA SPEAR can also be used to detect completely different RNAs. By using our software, future iGEM teams can design their own gRNAs for a variety of projects and we hope that this mechanism of circuit regulation will carry on in the competition. For our immediate project this year we aim to provide doctors with a new method for the detection of antibiotic resistances. This method is supposed to be faster and more precise so in case of a bacterial infection the prescribed antibiotic will be the correct t one from the start.
The clinics and hospitals will receive the testing device itself which will be delivered together with a collection of freeze dried phages. The freeze drying is purposely making the storage easier and will be prolonging the shelf life of the phages. The phages will be delivered in aliquots. One aliquot can be used for one run of testing.
The testing device is divided into different chambers for the different bacteria and resistances that can be detected. In each chamber the user has the possibility to put one aliquot of phages for detecting resistances against for the therapy suggested antibiotics. The sample can be automatically and equally distributed among all the chambers providing the same condition for the reaction in every chamber. Therefore we provide the best comparability between the chambers.
After executing the test, there are two possible outcomes for each chamber: The chamber can have one color indicating that there is no resistance present in the bacteria of the sample. The other color will show that there indeed is a resistance. In that case the doctors will know which antibiotic can be used and which should be avoided for the treatment of the infection.
Hence the spread of resistant bacteria will hopefully decline so there will be a decrease in the deaths because of multiresistant bacteria.
A nice addition would be a software for an easy readout of the results. With that software the user would not have to carry the responsibility of evaluating the results on their own. Rather there would be a program that could be downloaded on a mobile device. The results are automatically sent to the doctor to have the most effective communication path.
For reasons of simplicity and sustainability we are developing a testing device that can be used more than once to avoid much trash. Therefore the clinic or hospital will need to provide a way to kill the pathogens and sterilize the device afterwards.
When fully sterilized, the device can be filled up with new phages for another use. With that we contribute to reusing instead of throwing away to help fighting for sustainability.
But there are still challenges to overcome before SPEAR can make the way from the lab to the field. Since we are designing a medical product we have to meet the regulations before placing it on the market. To achieve this we need approval to test it on patient samples and make sure the test is reliable enough. Additionally SPEAR needs to be competitive to other tests available on the market concerning detection time and cost per test. If we are able to solve these problems SPEAR has the potential to revolutionize the way we detect antibiotic resistances and prevent the post-antibiotic era that the WHO is considering it possible.