microneedle

Real-Time Biosensor Monitoring of Infections and Optimising Therapy

gold microneedles close up

We are developing real-time, Point-of-Care biosensor technologies to monitor antimicrobial concentrations within the body on microneedle platforms the size of a postage stamp and on a small handheld device like a blood glucose meter. When paired with closed-loop control and an infusion pump this technology allows us to correct an individual’s dose to an optimised set target to improve patient outcomes and reduce drivers of AMR. This is particularly important for some patient groups where optimising antimicrobial therapy is particularly challenging in (e.g. sepsis, obesity, multi-morbidity), or for resistant microorganisms.

We have also developed a microneedle biosensor to measure the well-known sepsis biomarker, lactate. This device will increase our ability to recognise and treat sepsis early, especially in patients at ward level where measuring lactate is difficult.

Our technological developments include:

  • Aptameric and enzyme-based biosensor technology mounted on microneedle and Point of Care (PoC) platforms.
  • Minimal and non-invasive sensing of antibiotics, antifungals and biomarkers.
  • Artificial intelligence algorithms to correct antimicrobial dosing to achieve a set target.

Researchers

Dr Mark Gilchrist

Dr Mark Gilchrist
Honorary Senior Lecturer & Consultant Pharmacist Infectious Diseases

Dr Damien Ming

Dr Damien Ming
Clinical Research Fellow

Ashleigh Green

Ashleigh Green
Research Technician

Danny Chen

Danny Chen
Research Assistant

Dr David Freeman

Dr David Freeman
Research Associate

James McLeod

James McLeod
Research Postgraduate

Paul Arkell

Paul Arkell
Clinical Research Fellow

Dr Sally Gowers

Dr Sally Gowers
Research Associate

Saylee Jangam

Saylee Jangam
Research Postgraduate

Valentina Capizzuto

Valentina Capizzuto
Research Technician

William Bolton

William Bolton
Research Postgraduate

General Enquiries


CAMO Business Manager
Kerri Hill-Cawthorne
k.hill-cawthorne@imperial.ac.uk