[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Global Section – Main Menu” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#0071b3″ min_height=”38px” max_height=”150px” custom_margin=”||-20px||false|false” custom_padding=”5px||0px||false|false” saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”81px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_menu menu_id=”7″ active_link_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” menu_text_color=”#FFFFFF” menu_font_size=”18px” background_color=”#0071b3″ background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_menu][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#00539b” min_height=”4px” custom_margin=”0px||-26px|||” custom_padding=”5px||5px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” max_height=”201px” custom_margin=”|auto||auto|false|false” custom_padding=”5px||25px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ admin_label=”Column” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_menu menu_id=”8″ active_link_color=”#FFFFFF” _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” menu_font=”PT Sans|300|||||||” menu_font_size=”18px” background_color=”#00539b” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”-3px||-24px|||” custom_padding=”0px||1px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_main_element_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_main_element_tablet=”content:’Navigation’;” custom_css_main_element_phone=”content:’Navigation’;”][\/et_pb_menu][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section – Breadcrumbs” _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”25px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-50px|auto||auto|false|false” custom_padding=”10px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][lwp_divi_breadcrumbs home_text=”IGH” font_icon=”5||divi||400″ _builder_version=”4.25.0″ _module_preset=”default” module_font=”||||||||” module_font_size=”16px” global_module=”311″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/lwp_divi_breadcrumbs][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Title Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”-110px||||false|false” locked=”off” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.25.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”|700|||||||” title_font_size=”35px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font_size=”33px” header_4_line_height=”1.2em” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Mycobacteria, and specifically\u00a0Mycobacterium tuberculosis\u00a0<\/em>(MTB),<\/em>\u00a0cause disease and death on a global scale but disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). One of the difficulties of treating MTB is its propensity to evade the immune system and the intensive drug regimen prescribed to suffering patients. This is believed to be in part due to the bacteria\u2019s ability to enter a \u2018dormant\u2019 phenotype, leading to \u2018latent\u2019 disease. When in this phenotype MTB will appear to have been treated successfully but will frequently relapse after a number of months or years.<\/p>\n Previous work undertaken in Dr Hammond\u2019s lab has shown that it is possible to force mycobacteria into a dormant phenotype using a variety of stress conditions. When in this phenotype mycobacteria express lipid inclusion vesicles, termed lipid bodies. These lipid rich cells have been shown to be up to 40X more resistant to the antibiotics used to treat patients.<\/p>\n What Dr Hammond and colleagues are attempting to do now is to discover the mechanisms by which mycobacteria become lipid rich, if this can be prevented and how to treat patients that carry a large proportion of these resistant bacteria as part of their infection.<\/p>\n At the University of St Andrews we have developed just such a novel technology: SLIC. The Scattered Light Integrated Collector is a step change in the way in which antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is done. Due to SLIC\u2019s exquisite sensitivity, it can detect tiny changes in microbial population. Where current photonic technology has a limit of detection (LoD) around 10,000 microbial cells in 1 millilitre of liquid SLIC\u2019s LoD is 25 cells\/mL. This translates to rapid detection of population change, either growth or decline.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f1f1f1″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.25.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_3_font_size=”33px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text – Robert” _builder_version=”4.24.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nPrinciple Investigator<\/h2>\n