FURI | Fall 2022

Development of an in vitro Model for the Identification of Volatile Biomarkers Differentiating Streptococcus pneumoniae infection of Human Lung cells

Pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of global mortality affecting 2.49 million people annually due to poor diagnostic measures. One of the bacterial strains contributing to this mortality rate is Streptococcus pneumoniae. To diagnose pneumonia, clinicians are required to culture sputum for weeks limiting the efficacy of antibiotic treatment. In recent years, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have emerged as easily accessible biomarkers for use in point-of-care diagnostics. It is hypothesized that S. pneumoniae will produce unique VOCs which can be used to guide clinical decision making. The successful identification of VOC biomarkers can enhance the speed of diagnosis and patient outcomes.