Surface enhanced Raman scattering for the multiplexed detection of pathogenic microorganisms: towards point-of-use...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biotechnology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Pathogenic microorganisms pose significant threats to public health and industrial processes.
• Current detection methods can be slow, lack specificity, or require complex laboratory setups.
• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has emerged as a powerful technique for sensitive and specific molecular detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications for pathogenic microorganism detection over the past decade.
• To discuss both label-free and label-based SERS strategies.
• To evaluate the potential of SERS for point-of-use applications in medical and industrial environments.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature focusing on SERS techniques for pathogen detection from the last 10 years.
• Categorization of SERS approaches into label-free and label-based methods.
• Inclusion of specific SERS applications such as microfluidics, nucleic acid detection, and immunoassays.

Main Results:

• SERS enables rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of various pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
• Label-free and label-based SERS approaches have shown significant advancements.
• Integration with microfluidics and other platforms enhances multiplexed detection capabilities.

Conclusions:

• SERS is a highly promising technology for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms.
• Recent advancements facilitate the transition of SERS from laboratory research to practical point-of-use applications.
• SERS-based detection holds significant potential for improving safety and diagnostics in medical and industrial settings.