This National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) Project Grant award of $305,000 to Giant Biosystems Inc. aims to develop a rapid, point-of-care antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) kit that can generate results within 6-9 hours. The key products to be delivered include:
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A novel microfluidic platform for rapid and precise AST, which is significantly faster than conventional methods that can take 3-5 days. This will allow physicians to utilize the best antibiotic at the optimal dosage sooner, reducing antimicrobial resistance.
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Compatibility of the platform with scalable manufacturing materials, extended shelf life through lyophilization of pre-loaded antibiotics, and colorimetric interpretation software for mobile devices to provide accessible and objective analysis.
The project will address critical challenges in addressing antimicrobial resistance, which causes over 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths annually in the U.S. No sub-awards are planned for this 1-year project, which commenced on March 1, 2025.
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