SERS SIGNATURES OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENIC ZOONOTIC BACTERIA USING GOLD COLLOID

There is a critical need for a rapid and sensitive means of detecting Food-borne pathogenic zoonotic bacteria, where failure to fast detect an infection may have terrible consequences. Recent reports have shown that Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering can meet that needs. However, much research and development work is still needed before it becomes a real and trustworthy alternative. SERS with advanced analysis and classification techniques can become a valuable diagnostic tool. In this study, SERS was used to obtain the Raman spectra of five species of pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus , streptococcus bovis , streptococcusuberis , streptococcus agalactiae , streptococcus poygenes , Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, salmonella enteritidis . Based on their intrinsic SERS spectra, the nine bacteria strains were readily detected and classified using the multivariate statistical method principal component analysis (PCA), and a dendrogram cluster was constructed by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). This work can lead to the development of novel technology with extremely important benefits for public health. Although not implemented, the colloidal Gold SERS technique may in the future be a practical alternative method suitable for routine and rapid screening.