eSTI2 addresses the serious threat of antibiotic resistance in STIs by:-

  • Investigating the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance in STI organisms using whole genome sequencing approaches and correlations with phenotypic antibiograms
  • Defining specific resistance determinants for fluoroquinolones, penicillins and cephalosporins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative organism for gonorrhoea, and Mycoplamsa genitalium, a common cause of chronic urethritis and prostatitis.
  • On the basis of robust phenotype- genotype correlations, incorporating mutation detection in specific resistance genes (e.g. gyrA) onto partnering technology platforms as the basis for point of care antibiotic resistance testing.
  • Assessing the feasibility and clinical utility of antibiotic resistance testing in the setting of sexual health clinics.
  • Informing evidence-based antibiotic treatment options.

eSTI2 thus seeks to combine diagnostic tests for a range of STIs with antibiotic resistance profiles to enable rapid point of care diagnostics and immediate antibiotic resistance profiling, enabling the clinician to provide targeted and personalised antibiotic treatment.