Innovation Award

Nine podium presentations were selected as finalists for the 2016 SLAS Innovation Award. The final round of judging took place during SLAS2016. Following deliberations at the conference, the judging committee recognized Shana Kelley, University of Toronto, as the 2016 Innovation Award winner for her presentation, “New Devices for the Detection and Classification of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.”

Shana Kelley

Distinguished Professor, University of Toronto (Ontario, Canada)

Rapid identification and classification of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is an important need for infectious disease management. We are developing new electrochemical tools for direct molecular analysis of bacteria, in addition to devices that allow phenotypic profiling of bacteria for rapid susceptibility analysis using electrochemical readout. In the former approach, we take advantage of nanostructured micro electrodes^1-6 that possess larger surface areas and hierarchical structures that promote the display of probe molecules with active conformations. Using these structures, we have demonstrated that it is possible to detect clinically-relevant levels of bacteria in less than 30 minutes. To perform antibiotic susceptibility analyses using intact bacteria, we have developed a device that concentrates and monitors viability of bacteria to allow resistance profiles to be identified in under 2 hours.⁷ This presentation summarized the design and development of these approaches and will highlight potential clinical applications.