A New Biosensor Developed for Early Detection of Urinary Tract Infections

A joint research team from Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG) and Izmir Katip Çelebi University (IKCU) has developed a new label-free, molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) based electrochemical biosensor. The study defined a selective biosensor platform that enables the rapid detection of Morganella morganii, an opportunistic bacterium associated with urinary tract infections.

Led by IBG Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Seda Nur Topkaya Çetin, the study was conducted by IBG researcher Fatma Kurul and IKCU faculty members Assist. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Oğuzhan Kaya, Assist. Prof. Dr. Yamaç Tekintaş, and Türkü Açıkgöz. This collaboration provided a low-cost solution to the problem of limited specific and selective biosensors for this bacterium.

According to the research results, the developed biosensor achieved a remarkably low detection limit of 3.0 CFU/mL in real urine samples. This value remains well below the diagnostic thresholds commonly used in clinics, demonstrating that early-stage detection is possible.

The sensor exhibited high matrix tolerance and strong reproducibility by maintaining its sensitivity even in complex urine environments.

The complete publication can be accessed via this link:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1572665726000056?via%3Dihub