Ajou University Researchers Develop Antibiotic Diagnostic Technology Based on Light Scattering

Rapid and Precise Determination of Antibiotic Efficacy Using Light Scattering Technology
Ajou University Research Team Develops Diagnostic Method to Assess Microbial Activity Within Hours
Potential for Broad Application Across Various Microorganisms and Antibiotics

The research team at Ajou University has developed a technology that can precisely measure the activity and growth of microorganisms using optical technology based on the scattering properties of light.

Schematic diagram of early diagnosis technology for antibiotic efficacy using laser speckle imaging technology researched by Ajou University research team. Ajou University

On August 21, Ajou University announced that a joint research team led by Professor Yoon Jonghee from the Department of Physics and Professor Lee Changhan from the Department of Life Sciences had developed a precise and rapid diagnostic technology for antibiotic efficacy by utilizing the scattering properties of light.

Currently, the most widely used method for diagnosing the efficacy of antibiotics is the "antibiotic disk diffusion method." While this method allows for direct visual confirmation of bacterial growth inhibition by antibiotics, it requires a cultivation period of 24 to 48 hours, making it difficult to prescribe antibiotics quickly.

As a result, there has been a growing need for a technology that can quickly select effective antibiotics against bacteria infecting patients. The Ajou University research team focused on laser speckle imaging technology, which uses "light scattering," as a method for antibiotic selection.

Laser speckle imaging is a technology that measures laser speckles generated by destructive and constructive interference caused by the scattering of light within a medium.

Although there have been attempts to use this technology for diagnosing antibiotic efficacy, it has not been applied in actual medical settings due to the limitation that laser speckle images must be captured from a fixed position for each sample.

To overcome this limitation, the research team developed a technology that uses an optical diffuser to create multiple speckle illuminations, enabling the assessment of microbial activity within seconds through simple image capture.

Through this approach, they were able to accurately measure the area where microbial activity is inhibited by antibiotic efficacy and confirmed that antibiotic effects can be diagnosed within three hours.

Professor Yoon stated, "The scattering properties of light are not affected by the type of microorganism, so this technology can be applied to diagnose the efficacy of antibiotics against various types of microorganisms. We expect its range of applications to expand further in the future."

This research was published in the July issue of the renowned academic journal 'Journal of Biological Engineering.'

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