Aims and outline of project:

The projects aims for sensitive wireless detection of oral pathogens. In this multiyear project we have already successfully demonstrated the sensitive detection of P. gingivalis bacteria in-vitro, using wireless power transfer method, in collaboration with Dr. Okamoto of NIMS. Previous efforts were funded by a collaboration funding of NIMS, later by AMED Seed H funding. In FY2025 we aim to obtain patient samples from a hospital and test the concentration of p. gingivalis using the device developed at Waseda U. We will also confirm the validity of measurements by qPCR method. Part of the experiments may be performed at NIMS in Tsukuba to fulfill biosafety requirements. 

Outcomes of project:

As planned for this project, we realized the following steps:

1) The PI and a master student visited NIMS, Tsukuba, to perform wireless detection of oral pathogne p. gingivalis with the device designed and prepared at Waseda U., Kitakyushu Campus. We have demonstrated the sensitive and selective detection of p. gingivalis against 3 other types of bacteria. We also established the calibration curve for bacterial counting based on our impedimetric sensors in both laboratory-cultured and patient samples. Notably, our device performed excellently not only in defined solution medium but also in saliva medium extracted from patients having gingivitis. This is usually very challenging in biosensing due to noise introduced by the complex fluid medium.

2) In parallel to our work, our collaborator has tested the same pateint smaples using PCR, to establish a control experiment and facilitate comparisons to our measurements.

3) We are in the process of preparing a manuscript using our results, as well as designing a follow-up project.

4) The student who joined this project has advanced to doctoral study and is continuing this project.