FURI | Spring 2022

Development of an in vitro Model for the Identification of Volatile Biomarkers of Pneumonia

Pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of global mortality affecting 2.49 million people annually due to poor diagnostic measures. In recent years, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have emerged as easily accessible biomarkers for use in point-of-care diagnostics. The objective of this study is to detect biomarkers of pneumonia through custom-built technology for monitoring VOCs across time. This research collects and monitors VOCs released exclusively by pneumonia-causing bacteria in the presence of small cell lung cancer cells. This unique in vitro model of Pneumonia can provide the first steps of a clinically relevant diagnosis of bacterial lung diseases.