Better assessing bacteria sensitivity to antibiotics could change how drugs are prescribed

We rely on antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, but the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria forces doctors and patients to contend with shifting treatment plans. Furthermore, current laboratory tests to determine what bacteria is causing a particular infection takes days to complete and can be too late for the patient. Mechanical engineers recently developed a microchip antibiotic testing platform that takes only six to seven hours to determine the appropriate medication.