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Published on: February 14, 2022
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy enabled evaluation of bacterial inactivation
Wei Wang1, Asifur Rahman1, Qishen Huang1
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA; Virginia Tech Institute of Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) Sustainable Nanotechnology Center (VTSuN), Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA.
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) reveals bacterial inactivation mechanisms by detecting cellular changes. This method offers insights into bacterial stress responses for disease control and environmental applications.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Spectroscopy
- Biophysics
Background:
- Understanding bacterial inactivation is crucial for infectious disease control.
- Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers a potential method for analyzing cellular changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate bacterial responses to various inactivation methods using SERS.
- To investigate the relationship between SERS signals and cellular disruption.
Main Methods:
- Bacterial strains (Pseudomonas syringae, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis) were subjected to inactivation methods including heat, UV254, free chlorine, and ethanol.
- Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was employed to monitor changes in bacterial cells over time.
- SERS spectral data were analyzed to identify molecular changes associated with inactivation.
Main Results:
- Heat and UV254/chlorine treatments severely disrupted bacterial membrane integrity, increasing SERS peak intensities.
- Ethanol treatment resulted in intact cells and minimal spectral changes.
- Nucleic acid changes were prominent in heat, UV254, and UV254/chlorine treatments, likely due to outward diffusion.
- Chlorine treatment denatured cell surface carbohydrates and proteins, decreasing related SERS peaks.
- UV254 and chlorine treatments caused oxidation of nucleobases, leading to spectral shifts.
- SERS analysis demonstrated bacterial stress responses at the molecular level across different strains and water matrices.
Conclusions:
- SERS is a valuable tool for examining bacterial inactivation mechanisms and stress responses at the molecular level.
- The method shows broad applicability in environmental monitoring and microbial control strategies.
