A Selective, Dual Emission ß-Alanine Aminopeptidase Activated Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, and Serratia marcescens.

Selective detection of ß-alanyl aminopeptidase (BAP)-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, and Burkholderia cepacia was achieved by employing the blue-to-yellow fluorescent transition of a BAP-specific enzyme substrate, 3-hydroxy-2-(p-dimethylaminophenyl)flavone derivative, incorporating a self-immolative linker to ß-alanine. Upon cellular uptake and accumulation of the substrate by viable bacterial colonies, blue fluorescence was generated, while hydrolysis of the N-terminal peptide bond by BAP resulted in the elimination of the self-immolative linker and the restoration of the original fluorescence of the flavone derivative.

Novel diagnostics for point-of-care bacterial detection and identification.

In addition to limiting the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health concern as it is responsible for significant mortality/morbidity and increased economic burdens on healthcare systems. Diagnostic tests have been suggested as a means of prolonging the effectiveness of current antimicrobials; culture and other conventional diagnostics are hindered in their practicality as they are time- and labour intensive to perform. Point-of-care (POC) testing is performed near where the patient is being treated and can provide timely results that allow evidence based clinical interventions to be made. This review aims to outline the chemical principles behind some novel and emerging diagnostic techniques which have the required speed, simplicity, effectiveness and low-cost for incorporation into POC devices which can be used to inform and optimize antimicrobial use.