Infectious disease has remained a stubborn challenge for global healthcare and pathogen detection is of concern in securing environmental, food, and biodefense security. Sepsis accounts for an enormous cost to hospitals that could be reduced by employing rapid, accurate detection schemes. Hospital-acquired infections result in additional complications that have sobering effects on patient outcomes and costs. Gastrointestinal infections are notoriously difficult to accurately diagnose, and can be fatal for the young and elderly population. Both of the aforementioned areas also suffer from adaptation/evolution resulting in antimicrobial resistance and increased toxicity. Despite advances in several diagnostic areas, such as qPCR-based approaches, this remains a world-wide challenge.

The applicants should propose potential solutions to address the challenges in this field. These could be new technologies, chemistries, and/or studies of organisms and communities themselves that could lead to improved basic understanding of pathogen biochemistry. We encourage the use and development of potentially disruptive technologies, as many of the existing solutions have yet to yield sufficient results. The emphasis should be on rapid, robust, point-of-care analysis, so that the information could be developed into a clinically actionable solution.

 

key words

Pathogen detection; Metagenomics; Bioassay; Microfluidics; Rapid diagnostics; Point-of-care;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants