Mycobacterium tuberculosis fingerprint in exhaled breath condensate (TB-Breath)

Programme

Co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, EU) and the Economic and Tourism Promotion of the State of Lower Austria (Lower Austria, Austria)

Project coordination

Danube Private University, Prof. Dr. Mandana Amiri

Researchers involved at DPU

• Prof. Dr. Christoph Kleber
• Dipl. Ing. Dr. Dr. Rosmarie Bajlitz
• Dr. Manish Singh Senger
• Abdellah Hambli

Abstract

Every year, around 10.6 million people worldwide contract tuberculosis, and around 1.6 million die from it. Particularly alarming is the fact that, according to the WHO, up to 40% of cases are not diagnosed or reported – and among children, this figure is as high as 70%. An easily accessible diagnostic tool, such as a test strip, could reduce the incidence and mortality rate by up to 50%.

The TB Breath project, led by Prof. Dr. Mandana Amiri, started on 1 May 2025 and will run for 24 months. Its goal is to enable the diagnosis of tuberculosis via exhaled breath condensate (EBC). The focus is on developing LAM-specific electrochemical sensors with enzymatic readout that enable reliable real-time analysis. These sensors are to be integrated into a portable system – MaskDx-TB – that enables simple, fast and non-invasive TB diagnostics. TB-BREATH makes a significant contribution to medical research by combining biomedical sensor technology, nanotechnology and clinical application. The development of new bioreceptors and their integration into electrochemical biosensors opens up new avenues for early, mobile and cost-effective tuberculosis diagnostics, especially in underserved regions.