Start With What - A New Method for Pathogens Diagnosis

Every treatment begins with a diagnosis. A precise identification of the infection- or disease-causing factor should be achieved rapidly after the symptoms appear, in order to find the optimal cure. However, the diagnosis of multiple pathogens – viruses, bacteria and fungi – may take days. For example, clinical diagnosis of a bacterial infection, one of the world's leading causes of morbidity, takes 24-48 hours. An additional 24-48 hours are required for determining antibiotic resistance. This delay prolongs the suffering of the patients, and in certain cases endangers them tremendously. In an article published in Journal of Biological Chemistry, Prof. Haim Cohen and his team describe a new method for a fast, reliable and cheap diagnosis of pathogens. Their method is based on the intriguing physical phenomenon of molecule migration under temperature gradient as measured in a microscale thermophoresis device. Using this technique, it is potentially possible to diagnose any microorganism within one minute.