Direct detection of OXA-48 carbapenemase gene in lysate samples through changes in mechanical properties of DNA monolayers upon hybridization

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae have recently become an important cause of morbidity and mortality due to healthcare-associated infections. Most commonly used diagnostic methods are incompatible with fast and accurate directed therapy. We report here the direct identification of the blaOXA48 gene, which codes for the carbapenemase OXA-48, in lysate samples from Klebsiella pneumoniae. The method is PCR-free and label-free. It is based on the measurement of changes in the stiffness of DNA self-assembled monolayers anchored to microcantilevers that occur as a consequence of the hybridization. The stiffness of the DNA layer is measured through changes of the sensor resonance frequency upon hybridization and at varying relative humidity.This work was supported by the Spanish Science Ministry (MINECO) through project MAT2015-66904-R and by European Research Council through NANOFORCELLS project (ERC-StG-2011-278860) and European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 731868-VIRUSCAN. D.R. acknowledges the Ramon y Cajal fellowship supported by Spanish Ministry MINECO. Authors also acknowledge the service from the XSEM Laboratory at IMN and funding from MINECO under project CSIC13-4E-1794 with support from EU (FEDER, FSE).Peer reviewe