Development of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay for rapid detection of Aeromonas hydrophila

Aquaculture plays an increasingly important if not critical role in the current and future world food supply. Aeromonas hydrophila, a heterotrophic, Gram-negative, bacterium found in fresh or brackish water in warm climates poses a serious threat to the aquaculture industry in many areas, causing significant economic losses. Rapid, portable detection methods of A. hydrophila are needed for its effective control and mitigation. We have developed a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique to detect PCR (polymerase chain reaction) products that can replace agarose gel electrophoresis, or otherwise provide an alternative to costlier and more complicated real-time, fluorescence-based detection. The SPR method provides sensitivity comparable to gel electrophoresis, while reducing labor, cross-contamination, and test time, and employs simpler instrumentation with lower cost than real-time PCR.