PHITBAC

PHITBAC: Nanophotonic biosensors for the diagnosis and clinical management of bacterial infections at the point-of-care (PLEC2021-007739), financed by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 as well as European Union NextGenerationEU/ PRTR.

PHITBAC aims to significantly contribute to these next-generation diagnostics by introducing a new, disruptive, and versatile point-of-care nanobiosensor technology for the whole diagnosis and clinical management of bacterial infectious diseases.

Designed with a rational and holistic approach, the groundbreaking diagnostic device will provide rapid detection of most relevant pathogenic bacteria, including an on-site identification of antibiotic resistance, and a personalized monitoring and evaluation of antimicrobial therapy effectivity.

The PHITBAC technology is based on nanophotonic biosensors, which offer outstanding sensitivities for multiplexed label-free analysis, in a few minutes (15-30 min sample-to-result), using a minimum volume of patient samples (e.g., 10 µL of plasma), and a unique potential for integration in miniaturized and portable devices that deliver simple and easy understandable analysis results.

Furthermore, this project seeks the complete implementation of novel in-vitro
diagnostic (IVD) technology with a clear vision on technology transfer and exploitation. For that, we will manufacture our own highquality bioreceptors (bioengineered nanobodies and aptamers), especially designed for rapid and cost-efficient mass production, and the device will be fully validated for real clinical settings, like Hospital emergency and intensive care units.