Dr. Michelle Bous
“PhD students and students are also working on this research,” says Goedicke-Fritz, who also heads the junior research group for non-invasive diagnostics and is currently completing her habilitation on this topic in order to incorporate it into teaching. The researchers try to evaluate everything that can be measured from the children’s environment in order to collect as much olfactory information as possible. Remains in diapers are also promising. Michelle Bous, now a doctor of medicine, evaluated stool and urine samples from diapers for her doctoral thesis, which also revealed characteristic VOC patterns. “We were able to identify volatile organic compounds that we can assign to infections or blood poisoning,” says Michelle Bous, who has already received the Werner Zeh Foundation’s research award for this, among other things. In her doctoral thesis, the doctor, who works as a research assistant in the children’s clinic’s research laboratory, developed a method to examine such odor profiles in premature babies without contact.
The research is ongoing in several studies. Sybelle Goedicke-Fritz and her team have already succeeded in recording smell prints of the odorants of several diseases using the measuring devices. The research team has also been able to distinguish bacteria from each other based on the metabolic products they release Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia complex or Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. “If we can further develop such bacterial screenings, important conclusions about the necessary therapy would be possible quickly without doctors having to wait for more complex laboratory values,” explains Sybelle Goedicke-Fritz. “If we can detect an infection with bacteria, this answers the important question of whether antibiotics can be used. Antibiotics only work on bacteria, but are ineffective on all types of viruses,” she explains.
How does olfactory profiling work as a diagnostic tool for pediatric patients?
Interviewer: Hello and welcome to our interview. Today, we have Dr. Michelle Bous and Dr. Sybelle Goedicke-Fritz with us to discuss their groundbreaking research on using olfactory profiling to diagnose diseases in children. Dr. Bous, could you start by explaining your role in this study and how you became interested in this field of research?
Dr. Michelle Bous: Sure, I’m delighted to be here. As a pediatrician, I have always been interested in finding non-invasive diagnostic methods for young patients. For my doctoral thesis, I evaluated stool and urine samples from diapers for characteristic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could help identify infections or blood poisoning in babies. After receiving the Werner Zeh Foundation’s research award for this work, I continued to work with Dr. Goedicke-Fritz to develop an odor profiling method for premature babies without contact. It’s truly amazing how powerful our sense of smell can be in diagnosing diseases.
Interviewer: That’s fascinating. Dr. Goedicke-Fritz, could you tell us more about your role in this research and your background?
Dr. Sybelle Goedicke-Fritz: Of course. I am a senior physician at the Department of Pediatrics and head of the junior research group for non-invasive diagnostics. My main focus is on developing new diagnostic methods for pediatric use, particularly for critically ill infants and children. We’ve made significant progress in recording smell prints of various diseases using our measuring devices, and we’re now able to distinguish bacteria based on their metabolic products. This could revolutionize the speed and accuracy of diagnosing infections in children.
Interviewer: That’s incredible. What motivated you to explore this area of research?
Dr. Goedicke-Fritz: Well, like Michelle, we want to find better ways to diagnose and treat children who are often too young or too ill to communicate their symptoms effectively. Traditional diagnostic methods can be invasive and slow, which can make it difficult for doctors to decide on the appropriate treatment. By using olfactory profiling, we hope to provide
