Rapid and accurate UTI pathogen identification enabled by gold nanostructured SERS platforms
TL;DR
The platform demonstrated exceptional reproducibility, with a relative standard variation of approximately 8% across several assays, and accurate differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae was attained, underscoring its promise for fast, near point-of-care UTI diagnosis.
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) rank among the most prevalent bacterial infections; nonetheless, their detection primarily relies on laborious culture-based techniques. We provide a large-area, reproducible periodic plasmonic SERS platform utilizing a lithographically manufactured wavy grating structure for the swift, label-free identification of UTI pathogens. The substrate was created using maskless lithography, followed by the thermal evaporation of a 150 nm gold layer and subsequent lift-off, resulting in a uniform wavy grating with a periodicity of approximately 700 nm and a consistent distribution of electromagnetic hotspots. The sensing performance was assessed using Escherichia coli, yielding different Raman fingerprints throughout a wide concentration range from 10⁸ to 10² cfu mL⁻¹, indicating strong sensitivity and quantitative capabilities. A robust logarithmic linear correlation between SERS intensity and bacterial concentration was discovered. The platform demonstrated exceptional reproducibility, with a relative standard variation of approximately 8% across several assays. Moreover, accurate differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae was attained at 10⁵ cfu mL⁻¹, underscoring its promise for fast, near point-of-care UTI diagnosis.