McGill and RI-MUHC researchers have developed a rapid diagnostic test that could dramatically change how antibiotics are prescribed. The new system, QolorPhAST, can identify bacteria and determine which antibiotics will stop them in just 36 minutes — compared to the 48–72 hours required by standard clinical tests. This speed could help clinicians move away from trial-and-error prescribing, a major driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Developed by a team led by Sara Mahshid at McGill University, Dao Nguyen of the Meakins-Christie Labs, and Cedric Yansouni of the RI-MUHC, QolorPhAST uses nano-engineered colour-changing sensors that respond to bacterial metabolism. When paired with machine-learning image analysis, the system rapidly identifies both the bacterial species and its antibiotic susceptibility without the need for overnight cultures.
In blind testing on clinical urine samples, the device showed high accuracy compared to gold-standard laboratory methods, while delivering results in a fraction of the time. Designed to be low-cost, portable, and easy to use, QolorPhAST could support faster, more precise treatment decisions for infections such as urinary tract and sexually transmitted infections.
The team is now working toward commercialization. As antimicrobial resistance continues to rise globally, innovations like this may represent a critical step toward preserving the effectiveness of existing antibiotics.
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McGill researchers develop quick test that stands to curb antimicrobial resistance. System that can identify bacteria in less than 40 minutes could help physicians prescribe the appropriate antibiotics, amid ongoing urgency of antimicrobial resistance crisis. McGill Newsroom. February 4, 2026.
McGill researchers, including scientists at The Institute, develop rapid test to curb antimicrobial resistance. System that can identify bacteria in less than 40 minutes could help physicians prescribe the appropriate antibiotics amid the ongoing antimicrobial resistance crisis. The Institute News. February 13, 2026.
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Ultra-rapid nanoplasmonic colorimetry in microfluidics for antimicrobial susceptibility testing directly from specimens. Jalali M, AbdElFatah T, Del Real Mata C, I Hosseini I, Yedire SG, McKay GA, Corsini R, Siavash Moakhar R, Shieh H, Reszetnik G, Hamidi SV, Yansouni CP, Nguyen D, Mahshid S. Nat Nanotechnol. 2026 Feb 2. doi: 10.1038/s41565-025-02075-z.