A method for high-throughput image-based antifungal screening

Rosalie Sabburg; Aphrika Gregson; Andrew S Urquhart; Elizabeth A B Aitken; Linda Smith; Louise F Thatcher; Donald M Gardiner

doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106342

A method for high-throughput image-based antifungal screening

J Microbiol Methods. 2021 Nov:190:106342. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106342. Epub 2021 Oct 5.

Authors

Rosalie Sabburg¹, Aphrika Gregson², Andrew S Urquhart³, Elizabeth A B Aitken⁴, Linda Smith⁵, Louise F Thatcher⁶, Donald M Gardiner⁷

Affiliations

¹ Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
² Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia.
³ Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Applied Biosciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
⁵ Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia.
⁶ Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Black Mountain, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
⁷ Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: Donald.Gardiner@uq.edu.au.

PMID: 34619139
DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2021.106342

Abstract

Robust antifungal screening is technically challenging particularly for filamentous fungi. We present a method for undertaking antifungal screening assays that builds upon existing broth dilution protocols and incorporates time resolved image-based assessment of fungal growth. We show that the method performs with different fungi, particularly those for which spores can be used as inoculum, and with different compound classes, can accurately assess susceptibility or otherwise in only few hours and can even account for differences in inherent growth properties of strains.

Keywords: Antifungal; Aspergillus; Fusarium; Rapid; Susceptibility; Verticillium.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods*
Fungi / drug effects*
High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods*
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
Microbial Sensitivity Tests

Substances

Antifungal Agents