Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy in Pathogen Diagnostics
Summary
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) harnesses the plasmonic amplification of Raman scattering by metallic nanostructures to achieve ultrasensitive, label-free molecular fingerprinting. In pathogen diagnostics, SERS enables the rapid identification and quantification of bacteria, viruses and fungi at trace concentrations, overcoming the limits of conventional culture and PCR methods. By adsorbing microbial biomolecules onto engineered substrates—commonly silver or gold nanoparticles, nanopillars or nanorods—localised surface plasmons boost Raman signals by orders of magnitude. This amplification allows for the direct detection of cell wall components, nucleic acids or secreted metabolites, facilitating species-level discrimination and resistance profiling. Integration with microfluidic platforms and portable readers has yielded point-of-care devices capable of multiplexed assays, while chemometric and machine-learning algorithms decode complex spectra in real time. Recent advances in uniform substrate fabrication, spectral deconvolution and smartphone-based acquisition promise to translate SERS from laboratory proofs of concept into global diagnostic tools, particularly in resource-limited settings.
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Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy in Pathogen Diagnostics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy in pathogen diagnostics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS): A technique that amplifies Raman signals by coupling molecules to plasmonic nanostructures, enabling ultrasensitive molecular detection.
Plasmonic nanoparticles: Metallic nanomaterials (typically gold or silver) whose conduction electrons resonate with incident light to produce intense local electromagnetic fields.
Microfluidics: The manipulation of small fluid volumes in micro-scale channels, allowing precise handling and analysis of biological samples.
Chemometrics: The application of multivariate statistical methods to interpret complex spectral data and extract chemically meaningful information.
Multiplexing: Simultaneous detection of multiple analytes or pathogens within a single assay or spectrum.
Point-of-care device: A portable analytical platform designed for immediate testing at the site of patient care, requiring minimal sample preparation.
References
- Recent advances towards point-of-care devices for fungal detection: Emphasizing the role of plasmonic nanomaterials in current and future technologies. Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2024).
- Machine Learning-Assisted SERS Reveals the Biochemical Signature of Enhanced Protein Secretion from Surface-Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024).
- SERS-PLSR Analysis of Vaginal Microflora: Towards the Spectral Library of Microorganisms. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2022).
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