Current and near-future technologies for antibiotic susceptibility testing and resistant bacteria detection

The emergence and spread of bacterial resistances to antibiotics is now leading to the antibiotic crisis. This is driven by the antibiotic misuse and disabuse, rendered possible due to the absence of fast and accurate technologies for antibiotic screening and resistant bacteria identification in infectious diseases. Technologies that provide sensitive, quick and easy read-outs, conveying information about the optimal treatment are required. A multitude of these tests is readily available on the market, with many more being developed. However, current methods have their shortcomings. An in depth study overview and analysis of the field, with a deep focus on the current market, will serve as a guideline for the future emerging technologies involving susceptibility testing and antibiotic resistance evaluation. From such a dynamic and growing field, the current review provides a critical discussion on how the susceptibility-testing field is developing and where it is going.