Scientists at the University of Exeter have developed a new technique that could help to reduce antibiotic prescribing by predicting within minutes which drugs may be effective against specific bacteria. The novel microfluidic technique works by exploiting the fluorescent properties of antibiotics to see if they are taken up by the bacteria and have a chance of being active. If the antibiotics can penetrate through the bacterial cell membrane and are taken up, then the bacteria glow brighter under the microscope.