Dead or alive? A novel flow cytometric method to determine microbial viability in Mycoplasma genitalium and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Abstract

Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium infect more than 150 million people each year and are rapidly acquiring antimicrobial resistance (AMR), to all available treatments. PCR tools used for diagnosis and test-of-cure, amplify nucleic acids regardless of microbial viability, leading to false positives and subsequent overuse of antibiotics. Assays that accurately assess microbial viability and replication after exposure to antibiotics and other stimuli are needed to improve diagnostics. In this study, we present a flow cytometric method to quantitatively assess N. gonorrhoeae and M. genitalium viability and replication. We utilised a membrane exclusion dye (Fixable Viability Stain 70..