In a study published in the journal mBio on Tuesday, the researchers describe a system they call BacCapSeq, which they claim uses 4.2 million genetic probes to detect the signature DNA of all 307 kinds of pathogenic bacteria. Each of these probes bind to a single bacterium or biomarker for antibiotic resistance and virulence (a bacterium’s ability to infect a host). If that bacterium or biomarker shows up in a blood sample, the probe latches onto it in a way that the person analyzing the sample can detect. “Once approved for clinical use, BacCapSeq will give physicians a powerful tool to quickly and precisely screen for all known pathogenic bacteria, including those that cause sepsis, the third leading cause of death in the United States,” first author Orchid Allicock said in a press release. “This platform is 1,000 times more sensitive than traditional unbiased testing, at a level comparable to tests that screen one bacterium at a time.”