Raman spectroscopy as a novel technique for the identification of pathogens in a clinical microbiology laboratory

Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational spectroscopic technique with which the molecular fingerprint of a microorganism can be elucidated in 1 hr or less. In our study, the utility of this method as a rapid technique for the detection of different pathogens in a clinical microbiology laboratory was tested based on their unique spectra. The reference strains from American Type Culture Collection for frequently encountered pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to capture the signature spectra of these pathogenic species using confocal Raman microscopy. Furthermore, a representative reference library was constructed using the spectra of these standard strains as well as the clinical isolates. The study revealed unique spectral outputs for each bacterial species studied. Importantly, the entire procedure could be performed in an hour. With the development of an extensive database, the spectra of unknown samples can be matched with those in the library, and thus, a new identification system can be developed.