Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41511110›Full record

ArticleApplied and environmental microbiology2026

SimUrine: a novel, fully defined artificial urinary medium for enhanced microbiological research of urinary bacteria.

Pablo Gallardo Molina, Brian I Choi, Michael Vanek, Mohammad Haneef Khan, Kathrin Tomasek, Ayla N Kwant, Peter Dijkstra, Marjon G J de Vos, Alan J Wolfe

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Applied and environmental microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Pyocyanin produced byAntimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Pablo Gallardo MolinaDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1784-0236
Brian I ChoiDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5859-9050
Michael VanekDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-1492-4962
Mohammad Haneef KhanDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9603-7593
Kathrin TomasekLaboratory of Microbiology and Microtechnology, School of Life Sciences (SV), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Ayla N KwantPolymer Science, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Peter DijkstraPolymer Science, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Marjon G J de VosGELIFES-University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0601-908X
Alan J WolfeDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4532-0545

Funding

Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek OCENW.XL21.XL21.088
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Urinary tract infections represent one of the most prevalent bacterial diseases, yet current diagnostic and research methodologies are hampered by inadequate culture media that fail to replicate the bladder biochemical environment. Conventional artificial urine formulations contain undefined components, lack essential nutrients, or inadequately support urinary microbiome (urobiome) growth. To address these limitations, we developed SimUrine, a fully defined synthetic urine medium that aims to replicate human bladder chemistry while supporting diverse microbial growth requirements. SimUrine was systematically developed through iterative optimization of multi-purpose artificial urine, incorporating defined concentrations of carbon sources, vitamins, trace elements, and amino acids within physiologically relevant ranges. The modular design enables component substitution without complete reformulation, facilitating customization for culturomics, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and microbial ecology studies, while reducing batch-to-batch variability associated with authentic urine. Performance evaluation demonstrated SimUrine's capability to support the growth of fastidious urobiome members, including IMPORTANCE: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect millions globally, yet current research and diagnostic methods rely on inadequate culture media that fail to replicate the bladder's unique biochemical environment. This fundamental limitation has hindered accurate UTI research and potentially compromised clinical treatment decisions. SimUrine addresses this critical gap as the first fully defined synthetic urine medium that mimics human bladder chemistry while supporting the growth of diverse urinary microbes. The breakthrough enables the cultivation of urobiome organisms in a minimal medium that resembles natural conditions, revealing novel microbial interactions that influence urinary health. Crucially, SimUrine demonstrates different antimicrobial susceptibility patterns compared to standard clinical media, suggesting current testing protocols may inaccurately predict treatment outcomes. This standardized, reproducible platform eliminates the variability of authentic urine samples while maintaining physiological relevance, potentially transforming urobiome research methodology and providing a new tool for the study of UTIs worldwide.

Indexed as

BacteriaCulture MediaUrinary Tract InfectionsUrineHumansMicrobiotaCulture Mediaartificial urinebacterial cultivationmicrobial ecologymicrobiome researchurinary tract infectionurobiome

Identifiers

PMID41511110
PMCPMC12915295

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.