Reproducible discrimination between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy with infrared excitation

Analyst. 2012 Jun 21;137(12):2866-70. doi: 10.1039/c2an16310a. Epub 2012 May 11.

Abstract

The on time diagnostics of bacterial diseases is one of the essential steps in the foregoing treatment of such pathogens. Here we sought to present an easy to use and robust method for the discrimination between Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative (Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacterial genera based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The robustness of our approach lies in the novel method for the production of the SER substrate based on silver nanoparticles and their subsequent re-crystallization in solutions containing high concentrations of chloride ions. The method presented here could be an interesting alternative both to commonly used histochemical approaches and commercial SERS substrates.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Death
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / chemistry
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / cytology
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / chemistry
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / cytology
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spectrophotometry, Infrared
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman*
  • Surface Properties
  • Time Factors