Thanks to Dr. Latterich for pointing out this fascinating article
[Science 260(5109):819-22]. It's the best susceptibility method
I've ever seen from the biomedical engineer's viewpoint, in that
it is very "instrument-friendly". A luminometer is indeed a simple
beast compared to other microbiological instruments (CO2 measurement,
image analysis, etc.), especially with good, sensitive, solid-
state photodetectors now on the market. Does anyone know if
the authors are pursuing a path for commercialization of this
technology? I hope it gets out there where it can do some good,
and doesn't remain purely a research idea.
On the subject of commercialization, the use of a phage presents
some interesting challenges. How much is known about manufacturing
them on a large scale, packaging them with good shelf life for
diagnostic kits, shipping them around the country in trucks, and
having them still be viable at the other end?
By the way, I'm surprised I haven't heard more in this newsgroup
about the nasty problems of multiple-resistant organisms. The
popular press and newsy journals are full of them. Anyone have
any "war stories" in this area?
