Applied Nanolayers BV (ANL) and SoundCell BV (a spin-off from Technische Universiteit Delft TUD), today announced they have received 275,000 EUR R&D funding from Provincie Zuid-Holland to develop a prototype for SoundCell’s high throughput single-cell graphene antibiotic sensitivity test. The 18-month project will optimise the antibiotic sensitivity platform, bringing it closer to market. Enhancing the throughput of the platform, developing faster read-out schemes, and validating it against a variety of pathogenic samples, the funding will accelerate development of a clinical-grade graphene-based antibiotic screening device that is manufacturable in high volumes.

Paul Hedges, CEO of Applied Nanolayers, said,“The team at SoundCell has made a phenomenal scientific breakthrough, and ANL will provide the quality and volumes of graphene needed to deliver on that vast potential. Our work over the next few months will therefore focus on delivering suitably sensitive chips with arrays of graphene membranes that can be reliably manufactured in the high volumes that will be required by healthcare providers.”

Aleksandre Japaridze, CEO of SoundCell, added:“Proving the commercial viability of this test over the next 18 months represents the cutting edge of the fight against antibiotic resistance, an ever-increasing threat to human health. It is an issue that demands innovative and-out-of-the box solutions and using graphene to detect nanoscale vibrations offers a unique method for monitoring the efficacy of antibiotics.

“By developing a much faster and more sensitive method for diagnosing bacterial resistance – that can be used by doctors worldwide – our work with ANL is a critical effort in the fight against a threat that endangers millions of lives worldwide.”