Rapid detection and analysis of biological components using surface enhanced raman spectroscopy

A method for continuous, real-time monitoring of microorganisms in environmental samples, comprising:

• collecting a sample containing microorganisms from air, surfaces, or fluids;
• lysing the sample using a Raman-background-free surfactant buffer, agitation, and controlled heating thereby decomposing structural components of the sample and creating a lysed sample;
• mixing the lysed sample with gold or silver nanoparticles on a hydrophobic surface to create analytes with nanogap surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) hotspots;
• enriching the analytes within a compact detection area through co-condensation;
• capturing label-free SERS spectra of the structural components from the enriched analytes;
• and
• analyzing the captured spectra using a machine learning model trained on a library of SERS spectral profiles.

A portable system for label-free detection of biological components in environmental samples, comprising:

• a lysis unit configured to process biological samples using a surfactant buffer, agitation, and controlled heating to form a lysate;
• a nanoparticle aggregation module configured to mix the lysate with gold or silver nanoparticles to form a mixture and condense the mixture onto a hydrophobic surface to create analytes with nanogap surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) hotspots;
• a Raman spectrometer configured to capture spectral data from the analytes;
• and
• a machine learning module trained with a library of SERS spectral profiles for real-time classification of microorganisms.