Rapid Identification of Yeasts in Foods Based on Thermal-Scanning Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Spectroscopy
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Accurate and rapid yeast identification is crucial for food safety, clinical diagnostics, and environmental monitoring.
• Current methods can be time-consuming, expensive, or require specialized equipment and expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel thermal-scanning fluorescence spectroscopy (TSFS) method for rapid and specific yeast identification.
• To assess the potential of TSFS for analyzing yeast composition in complex matrices like food products.

Main Methods:

• Utilized SYBR Green I, a dsDNA-specific dye, as a fluorescence probe to monitor yeast cell physiological changes.
• Applied a biphasic thermal response analysis (Phase I: membrane permeability increase; Phase II: dsDNA denaturation) induced by controlled temperature elevation.
• Employed multivariate statistical analysis to differentiate between yeast species based on their unique TSFS profiles.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a biphasic fluorescence response pattern in yeast cells upon thermal stress, correlating with membrane permeability and DNA denaturation.
• Successfully differentiated eight common yeast types spiked in milk, showcasing the method's reliability for food yeast composition analysis.
• Achieved complete yeast identification within one hour, without the need for antibodies or gene sequencing.

Conclusions:

• TSFS offers a fast, simple, and low-cost approach for accurate yeast identification with high taxonomic specificity.
• The method shows significant potential for applications in food microbiology, clinical pathogen screening, and environmental fungal monitoring.