Single-Cell Identification, Drug Susceptibility Test, and Whole-genome Sequencing of Helicobacter pylori Directly from Gastric Biopsy by Clinical Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Ramanometry

Background The battle against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections demands fast, reliable, and sensitive methods for pathogen identification (ID), antimicrobial susceptibility tests (ASTs) based on metabolic response, and genome-wide mutation profiling that reveals resistance mechanisms. Methods Here we introduce Clinical Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Ramanometry for H. pylori (CAST-R-HP), and its validation with clinical samples. This method performs rapid ID, metabolism inhibition-based AST, and high-quality whole-genome sequencing for cells of targeted resistance phenotype, all at precisely 1-cell resolution and directly from biopsy samples. Results In CAST-R-HP, automated acquisition and machine learning of single-cell Raman spectra (SCRS) enable distinguishing individual H. pylori cells directly from a biopsy sample, with 98.5 +/- 0.27% accuracy in ID. Moreover, by adding a 48- to72-h D2O feeding and drug exposure step prior to SCRS acquisition, CAST-R-HP reports AST for levofloxacin and clarithromycin with 100% accuracy, based on metabolic inhibition level. Furthermore, CAST-R-HP supports rapid sorting, low-bias DNA amplification, and full genome sequencing of single H. pylori cells with the SCRS defined, targeted drug-susceptibility phenotype, via Raman-activated gravity-driven cell encapsulation and sequencing. The genome-wide mutation map (maximum 99.70% coverage), at precisely 1-cell resolution, not only elucidates the drug-susceptibility phenotypes but also unveils their underlying molecular mechanisms. Conclusion The culture independency, shorter turnaround time, high resolution, and comprehensive information output suggest that CAST-R-HP is a powerful tool for diagnosing and treating H. pylori infections.