Spectroscopic Method for Fast and Accurate Group A Streptococcus Bacteria Detection

Rapid and accurate detection of pathogens is paramount to human health. Spectroscopic techniques have been shown to be viable methods for detecting various pathogens. Enhanced methods of Raman spectroscopy can discriminate unique bacterial signatures; however, many of these require precise conditions and do not have in vivo replicability. Common biological detection methods such as rapid antigen detection tests have high specificity but do not have high sensitivity. Here we developed a new method of bacteria detection that is both highly specific and highly sensitive by combining the specificity of antibody staining and the sensitivity of spectroscopic characterization. Bacteria samples, treated with a fluorescent antibody complex specific to Streptococcus pyogenes, were volumetrically normalized according to their Raman bacterial signal intensity and characterized for fluorescence, eliciting a positive result for samples containing Streptococcus pyogenes and a negative result for those without. The normalized fluorescence intensity of the Streptococcus pyogenes gave a signal that is up to 16.4 times higher than that of other bacteria samples for bacteria stained in solution and up to 12.7 times higher in solid state. This method can be very easily replicated for other bacteria species using suitable antibody-dye complexes. In addition, this method shows viability for in vivo detection as it requires minute amounts of bacteria, low laser excitation power, and short integration times in order to achieve high signal.