Towards a new approach for fast diagnosis of tuberculosis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Despite persistent efforts over the last 125 years to develop a simple tool for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis, the ideal method has proven elusive. It is clear that gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) offers considerable advantages for the analysis of complex biological samples. In this thesis we discuss two main areas in which progress is sought. The first is the discovery of novel biomarkers for diagnosis of tuberculosis using GC-MS and chemometrics. The second is the development of an affordable, accurate and 'simple to use' point of care test for diagnosing tuberculosis using a small (trans)-portable or hand-held device based on GC technique.