Method for separation, characterization and/or identification of microorganisms using raman spectroscopy

A method of characterizing and/or identifying a microorganism from a blood culture, comprising:

• (a) obtaining a sample from a blood culture known to contain or that may contain microorganisms;
• (b) selectively lysing non-microorganism cells in said sample to produce a lysed sample;
• (c) layered said lysed sample on a density cushion in a sealed container;
• (d) centrifuging the container to separate microorganisms from other components of said sample and form a pellet of microorganisms;
• (e) spectroscopically interrogating said isolated microorganisms in situ using one or more Raman spectroscopy techniques to produce spectroscopic measurements of said microorganism;
• and
• (e) characterizing and/or identifying said microorganism in said isolated sample by comparison of the spectroscopic measurements with spectroscopic measurements taken, or spectroscopic properties predicted, of known microorganisms.

A method of characterizing and/or identifying a microorganism, comprising:

• (a) obtaining a test sample known to contain or that may contain microorganisms;
• (b) placing said test sample in a sealed container;
• (c) separating microorganisms in situ from other components of test said sample to form an isolated sample of microorganisms of microorganisms in said sealed container;
• (d) spectroscopically interrogating said isolated microorganisms in situ using one or more Raman spectroscopy techniques to produce spectroscopic measurements of said microorganism;
• and
• (e) characterizing and/or identifying said microorganism in said isolated sample by comparison of the spectroscopic measurements with spectroscopic measurements taken, or spectroscopic properties predicted, of known microorganisms.