Combining deep learning and droplet microfluidics for rapid and label-free antimicrobial susceptibility testing of colistin.

Efficient tools for rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) are crucial for appropriate use of antibiotics, especially colistin, which is now often considered a last resort therapy with extremely drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we developed a rapid, easy and miniaturized colistin susceptibility assay based on microfluidics, which allows for culture and high-throughput analysis of bacterial samples. Specifically, a simple microfluidic platform that can easily be operated was designed to encapsulate bacteria in nanoliter droplets and perform a fast and automated bacterial growth detection in 2 h, using standardized samples.

Latest trends in bioimaging and building a proactive network of early-career young scientists around bioimaging in Europe.

Biological research is in constant need of new methodological developments to assess organization and functions at various scales ranging from whole organisms to interactions between proteins. One of the main ways to evidence and quantify biological phenomena is imaging. Fluorescence microscopy and label-free microscopy are in particular highly active fields of research due to their compatibility with living samples as well as their versatility.