A group of physicists used spectroscopy to identify single antibiotic-resistant bacteria cells that are tuberculosis agents quickly. The method allows for the detection of bacteria and the assessment of antibiotic resistance without causing any harm to the biological material. The researchers proposed using Raman scattering spectrography to analyze bacterial cells quickly. Based on the scattering of laser radiation with a specific wavelength by the sample, this method aids in determining the composition and structure of the studied material. Spectroscopy is a non-invasive method, meaning the study material does not undergo mechanical impact or destruction. The spectroscopy method helps find the bacteria and evaluate their resistance to antibiotics without damaging the biological material.
The researchers used bacterial strains from tuberculosis patients’ lung expectorations and bone tissue samples obtained during surgeries. Before the Raman scattering spectrography experiments, standard biological and chemical methods determined the drug resistance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
During the spectroscopy procedure, the scientists pointed the laser beam at different bacteria to obtain information about the structure of the cells belonging to different strains. Different strains’ cells appeared to scatter light differently because antibiotic resistance occurs, among other things, due to changes in the composition of bacterial cell wall components. Spectroscopy assisted in identifying differences between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant bacteria cell walls.
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