Biochip development for personalised medicine - Till Bachmann

Research in the Bachmann group combines biochip development with genomics research for the next achievements in personalised medicine in infectious diseases.

Till Bachmann is Deputy Director of Infection Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.  The focus of his lab is on the development of new diagnostic devices that will help in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.  They are currently tacking three main projects.

Microsystems for the monitoring of bacterial response to therapy

Antibiotic resistance (AMR) is a pressing issue in global healthcare.  This project addresses the problem of AMR with a new diagnostic concept and device. The device will use the response of bacterial pathogens to antibiotics in vivo at the mRNA level as a marker to guide antibiotic therapy of blood stream infections. Specific mRNA biomarkers have been discovered and validated in other programmes at the University of Edinburgh. The final diagnostic device - beyond the scope of this project - should perform all necessary steps for mRNA detection, from sample to answer, at the point of care, integrated into one microfluidic device.
 

Sensors for electrochemical PCR

The project addresses the global molecular diagnostics market, specifically the market for nucleic acid amplification techniques: molecular diagnostics is a key factor in the improvement of patient care in the NHS as part of pathology services.
 
The aim is to evaluate the combination of an innovative nucleic acid amplification technology with a commercially viable electrode format from the industry partner, as a competitive alternative to the current standard practice Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
 

Carbon screen printed electrodes for label-free molecular diagnostics

This project aims to establish the proof of principle of using carbon screen printed electrodes as sensor elements for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for molecular diagnostics.
 
Current methods of screening patients for bacterial pathogens often involve centralized laboratory facilities and can take up to forty-eight hours to process results. During this time, pathogens can spread among patients or healthcare workers. Rapid Point of Care (PoC) testing enables the early identification of infected patients, helping to reduce the risk of transmission and infection, and increasing positive outcomes for patients.
 

Find out more about Till's research

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