Characterising unique biomarkers for the detection of Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in the developed world. Current guidelines recommend a two-step algorithm for effective diagnosis; the initial test for presence of C. difficile, followed by a test to determine toxigenic infection. In this study, bioinformatics and cloud computing were utilised to identify unique biomarkers which, could be exploited for the initial C. difficile screen. These targets must be exposed on the surface of intact cells to allow for rapid detection.