Qun Ren, an Empa researcher, and her team are currently developing a diagnostic procedure that can rapidly detect life-threatening blood poisoning caused by staphylococcus bacteria.

Staphylococcal sepsis is fatal in up to 40% of the cases.

An infection with the spherical bacteria may have started as a local skin disease or pneumonia.

Once the staphylococci have swarmed into the bloodstream in the course of sepsis, severe complications can arise.

In such situations the pathogens must be identified as quickly as possible and appropriate antibiotics selected for treatment.

This is particularly crucial for the survival chances of those affected, as Staphylococcus aureus strains can be insensitive to various antibiotics.

Read More