SBIR Phase I: Development of reliable pyrazinamide susceptibility testing at neutral pH

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a new test for tuberculosis (TB). This technology will lead to more accurate and reliable results than the current standard of care. This project will improve TB treatment outcomes. Furthermore, it will combat the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant TB by increasing the cure rate and reducing the spread of drug resistance. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to determine PZA susceptibility at neutral pH in reconstituted in vivo condition using the standard protocol of TB drug susceptibility testing. The current PZA susceptibility test is unreliable because it is performed in an acidic pH condition. An inappropriate inoculum size of M. tuberculosis may neutralize the pH of the medium or fail to grow due to growth inhibition at the acidic pH condition. This leads to frequent false results, leading to improper treatment. The proposed research will advance a novel approach, determining phenotypic PZA susceptibility at neutral pH in a proprietary culture media. This project will optimize the media for PZA susceptibility testing, and the susceptibility testing will be implemented using the standard protocol of TB drug susceptibility testing with reliability and accuracy. Together, this studies will not only establish a reliable PZA susceptibility testing, but also combine all TB drug susceptibilities in one effective system.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.