{"77901":{"#nid":"77901","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Laboratory Method Uses Mass Spectrometry to Rapidly Detect Staph Infections","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the\nCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a new laboratory\ntest that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections.\nThis new test takes advantage of unique isotopic labeling combined with\nspecific bacteriophage amplification to rapidly identify \u003Cem\u003EStaphylococcus aureus\u003C\/em\u003E. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EQuickly and accurately detecting infections caused by \u003Cem\u003ES. aureus\u003C\/em\u003E is critical because the pathogenic\nbacterium causes a broad spectrum of infections, ranging from acute to chronic\ndisease, which need to be treated in a prompt manner with the correct\nantibiotic.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe test uses mass spectrometry to quantify the number of \u003Cem\u003ES. aureus\u003C\/em\u003E organisms in a large number of\nsamples in just a few hours, compared to a day or two for culturing techniques\ntypically used to detect this bacterium.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur method for detecting staph infections using mass\nspectrometry will be valuable in a variety of situations, but will be crucial when\na large number of people need to be tested very quickly, which will ultimately\nimprove treatment,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Fernandez\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFacundo Fern\u00e1ndez\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the\n\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the new staph infection detection method were\npublished in the January issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1074\/mcp.M111.012849\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMolecular and Cellular Proteomics\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E. Partial funding for this\nresearch was provided by 3M and the CDC\/Georgia Tech seed award program.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFern\u00e1ndez together with Carrie Pierce, Jon Rees and John\nBarr from the CDC\u2019s Division of Laboratory Sciences created this test.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe simplicity of sample\npreparation, the low cost of required reagents and the increased availability\nof mass spectrometers in clinical laboratories make this new method a cost-effective\nway to rapidly and effectively detect staph infections, which must be treated\nquickly to prevent spread of the disease,\u201d explained Pierce, a research\nchemist at the CDC who also worked on the project as a graduate student at Georgia\nTech.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ETo run their test, the researchers first inject a known\namount of bacteriophage labeled with nitrogen-15 into a sample. The phages --\nwhich are viruses that infect bacteria -- infect only live \u003Cem\u003ES. aureus\u003C\/em\u003E cells, which then multiply and amplify the phage signal. Following\na two-hour incubation, the researchers break up proteins from the phage shell\ninto component peptides using a trypsin digest technique.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThen they analyze the sample using liquid chromatography with\ntandem mass spectrometric detection. By detecting peptides from the protein\nshell of the phage, the researchers can measure the concentration of \u003Cem\u003ES. aureus\u003C\/em\u003E in the sample.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe strength of this technique is coupling a\nwell-characterized method for identifying bacteria with a modern detection\ndevice, such as a mass spectrometer,\u201d said Barr, biological mass spectrometry lead\nin the CDC\u2019s Division of Laboratory Sciences. \u201cBy labeling input phage with\nheavy nitrogen isotopes, we were able to use mass spectrometry to effectively\ndistinguish between the parent and progeny phage, thus enhancing the\nselectivity of the method.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThis prototype mass spectrometry-based technique has been\noptimized to detect low concentrations of bacteria that should allow clinicians\nto diagnose staph infections without the need for a significant culture period.\nCoupled with standard laboratory robotics, the test will reduce manual labor\nand subjective interpretation of results inherent in traditional techniques.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAn exciting aspect of this phage method is that with small\nmodifications to the procedures, resistance and susceptibility to a number of\ndifferent antibiotics can be determined in addition to bacterial\nidentification,\u201d said Rees. \u201cThis additional piece of information may be the\nkey to wide acceptance of the method.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations\nContacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Robinson (abby@innovate.gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John\nToon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: \u003C\/strong\u003EAbby\nRobinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and CDC researchers have developed a new laboratory\ntest that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections. The\ntest uses mass spectrometry to quantify the number of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EStaphylococcus aureus\u003C\/em\u003E organisms in a large number of samples in just\na few hours, compared to a day or two for culturing techniques typically used\nto detect this bacterium.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a new laboratory test that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2012-01-12 09:59:56","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:53","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2012-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"77871":{"id":"77871","type":"image","title":"Pierce\/Fernandez staph infection detection","body":null,"created":"1449178063","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:43","changed":"1475894691","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:51","alt":"Pierce\/Fernandez staph infection detection","file":{"fid":"193846","name":"fernandez_pierce_r100.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fernandez_pierce_r100_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fernandez_pierce_r100_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2018858,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fernandez_pierce_r100_0.jpg?itok=yLrBpOdt"}},"77881":{"id":"77881","type":"image","title":"Facundo Fernandez staph infection test","body":null,"created":"1449178063","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:43","changed":"1475894691","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:51","alt":"Facundo Fernandez staph infection test","file":{"fid":"193847","name":"fernandez_pierce_r116.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fernandez_pierce_r116_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/fernandez_pierce_r116_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1562593,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/fernandez_pierce_r116_0.jpg?itok=tE7DRKAv"}},"77891":{"id":"77891","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech\/CDC staph infection detection test","body":null,"created":"1449178063","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:43","changed":"1475894691","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:51","alt":"Georgia Tech\/CDC staph infection detection test","file":{"fid":"193848","name":"pierce_r024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pierce_r024_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/pierce_r024_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1211003,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/pierce_r024_0.jpg?itok=bJM-akV9"}}},"media_ids":["77871","77881","77891"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"17301","name":"Facundo Fernandez"},{"id":"3158","name":"Mass spectrometry"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"169433","name":"staph infection"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Robinson\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:abby@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eabby@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}