Project description
Rapid on-site detection of airborne antibiotic-resistant pathogens
Hospital air can carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), contributing to healthcare-associated infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. While current air management methods reduce particles, they do not confirm the presence of viable pathogens. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the RESPOND project will develop a microfluidic platform for the rapid detection of airborne pathogens. It will combine plasmonic-enhanced bacterial lysis, isothermal nucleic acid amplification and photoelectrochemical biosensing into a single chip. Key features include reagent-free lysis, optics-free detection and a quick turnaround time of under 60 minutes, with a limit of detection of approximately 10 copies per microlitre and a cost of under EUR 50 per chip.
Objective
Hospital air is rarely as clean as it appears. In intensive care units, operating theatres, and patient wards, airborne pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Acinetobacter baumannii persist as silent, mobile threats, exacerbating the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and hospital-acquired infections. Current air-management strategies—ventilation, HEPA filtration, UV-C sterilisation, and negative-pressure rooms—reduce particle loads but cannot confirm the presence of viable pathogens. Fluorescence-based particle counters provide only generic biological activity, while culture and molecular diagnostics are too slow, infrastructure-dependent, and unsuitable for real-time intervention. This blind spot leaves healthcare settings unprepared to respond effectively to airborne outbreaks. RESPOND project addresses this gap by developing an integrated, microfluidic platform combining plasmonic-enhanced bacterial lysis, isothermal nucleic acid amplification, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing. Module 1, engineered plasmonic nanostructures (gold nanostars, silver nanocubes) under LED illumination will achieve rapid, reagent-free lysis of bacteria, preserving nucleic acids for downstream amplification. Module 2, solid-phase recombinase polymerase amplification will be coupled with wavelength-selective photosensitisers for PEC detection, enabling label-free, light-controlled readouts without bulky optics. Module 3 will integrate both units into a continuous-flow microfluidic chip, validated with airborne MRSA and A. baumannii under clinically relevant conditions. Scientifically, RESPOND goes beyond state-of-the-art by embedding reagent-free lysis and optics-free PEC sensing in a chip, enabling rapid, species-specific airborne pathogen detection (<60 minutes, LOD ≈10copies/µL, cost per-chip <€50). Societally, RESPOND enhances hospital resilience against AMR outbreaks, supports real-time infection control, scalable applications in healthcare.
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology biosensing
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
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