2014
Laser Fingerprinting of Meningitis
Early in 2014, scientists at Strathclyde University developed a new test to speed up the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. It uses nanoparticles and lasers to "fingerprint" more than one bacterium at a time - and so opens the way for targeted treatment. Unless caught quickly, bacterial meningitis can lead to blood poisoning and brain damage. Bacterial meningitis is most common in children under five and it can often take time to diagnose precisely which bacteria are responsible. The new process - called Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) - scatters laser light from a sample that has been combined with silver nanoparticles. It can fingerprint more than one bacterium at a time, allowing treatment to then be targeted. This scientific breakthrough is now primed for adoption by health authorities worldwide.Image courtesy of the University of Strathclyde
