Introduction

---

The human body routinely has contact with pathogenic bacteria from the environment. However, the immune system is well trained to neutralize them most of the time before they are able to multiply extensively. In this way, it prevents any risk of infection. However, some times, bacteria are strong or abundant enough to overcome this defense mechanism. In these cases, antibiotics are employed to reduce the bacterial load (Felman & Begum, 2023).

The history of modern antibiotics starts in 1928 when Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. This compound has a beta-lactam in its chemical structure, to which it owes its classification within beta-lactam antibiotics. Nowadays, it is common to use penicillin-based antibiotics like ampicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin, and cefotaxime to treat an important amount of bacterial infections. Since their discovery, antibiotics have promoted major advances in medicine and surgery, saving millions of lives (Felman & Begum, 2023; Ventola, 2015). 

Nonetheless, the indiscriminate and incorrect use of these medicines has caused bacteria to develop defense mechanisms against them, which has resulted in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This means that antibiotics are not able to have an effect on the microorganism. Instead, the pathogen ruptures the drug’s molecular structure, inactivating it, and making more difficult to fight infections (Felman & Begum, 2023; World Health Organization, 2020). This antibiotic lack of effectiveness has increased mortality rates, medical costs, incidense, and hospital stays (Felman & Begum, 2023).

A factor that might promote resistance to cefotaxime, a beta-lactam antibiotic, is its frequent and incorrect employment. Bacteria, specially some strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniaeone, have been identified to possess the Cefotaximase-Munich (CTX-M) gene, which codifies for a type of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). This enzyme confers resistance to cefotaxime and other beta-lactam antibiotics such as cephalosporins, penicillins, monobactams, and sometimes, carbapenems (Manyahi, et al., 2017; Ogbolu, et al., 2018). This is why the CTX-M-15 allele has been related to an extensive catalogue of infections (Manyahi, et al., 2017). Health systems all around the world are facing the consequences of this problem, which keeps getting more serious as there is no rigorous control over the use of antibiotics. Economy and welfare of many people is being threatened, affecting the patients, their families, and the health care system (Ventola, 2015).

There are several axes from where we can collaborate to overcome this problematic. From the social aspect, it is important that we make important changes on how we face diseases. Hygene measures such as handwashing and good food hygiene must be reinforced, at the same time vaccination and prevention campaigns are implemented (World Health Organization, 2020). From the scientific area, it is fundamental to invest in research that promotes the development of new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases (World Health Organization, 2020). 

Us, as biotechnology students and future leaders of science, are concerned about this issue. So, we decided to put our efforts in designing a portable microfluidic device that is capable of recognizing bacteria that possess the CTX-M-15 gene. With that, more effective approaches when treating diseases caused by this kind of microorganisms can be achieved.