Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Rotavirus Molecular Signatures Using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Human enteric virus infections range from gastroenteritis to life threatening diseases such as myocarditis and aseptic meningitis. Rotavirus is one of the most common enteric agents and mortality associated with infection can be very significant in developing countries. Most enteric viruses produce diseases that are not distinct from other pathogens, and current diagnostics is limited in breadth and sensitivity required to advance virus detection schemes for disease intervention strategies. A spectroscopic assay based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been developed for rapid and sensitive detection of rotavirus. The SERS method relies on the fabrication of silver nanorod array substrates that are extremely SERS-active allowing for direct structural characterization of viruses. SERS spectra for eight rotavirus strains were analyzed to qualitatively identify rotaviruses and to classify each according to G and P genotype and strain with >96% accuracy, and a quantitative model based on partial least squares regression analysis was evaluated. This novel SERS-based virus detection method shows that SERS can be used to identify spectral fingerprints of human rotaviruses, and suggests that this detection method can be used for pathogen detection central to human health care.

Detection of Receptor-Induced Glycoprotein Conformational Changes on Enveloped Virions by Using Confocal Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

“…Raman spectroscopy has also been employed to investigate nonviral protein structural variations (20). Recently, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy and tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) spectroscopy have been employed to identify and discriminate different types of viruses, such as Poxviridae virions (21), measles viruses (22), rotavirus (23), respiratory syncytial viruses (24,25), tobacco mosaic virus (26), and avipoxvirus (27). Moreover, for nonenveloped viruses, Raman spectroscopy has made identification of single viral particles possible (26).…”

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates Made by Oblique Angle Deposition: Methods and Applications

“…Identifying the pathogens in patient's blood can be vital, especially when dealing with time-sensitive treatments, SERS can offer rapid bacteria detection in bodily fluids [82,83]. Driskell et al have made studies into using OAD-based SERS substrates for the detection of rotaviruses [82], group A rotaviruses are known to be infectious and commercially available assays do not provide information on genotypes which are important for disease control and identifying new strains. Typing can be achieved by an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or hemi-nested RT-PCR, however, these techniques are both labour intensive and time-consuming.…”

“…Typing can be achieved by an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or hemi-nested RT-PCR, however, these techniques are both labour intensive and time-consuming. In [82] the SERS spectra was used in a partial least squares discriminant analysis to classify samples, such that in a cross validation prediction of rotavirus type attained a 100% accuracy. In a recent study by Chen et al, the use of OAD-derived SERS substrates was applied to the detection of early stage malaria [83].…”

IR and Raman Spectroscopy for Pathogen Detection

“…He successfully validated his model with independent viral samples. Driskell and colleagues were able to detect rotaviruses in a complex matrix of cell debris and virus particles using areas of oblique-angle-deposited silver nanorods as NPs [149]. Using the same substrate, Negri et al [150] detected influenza viruses by capturing them with specific oligonucleotides that were bound to a SERS-active surface and by monitoring the spectral changes that occurred upon binding.…”

“…In both reports, the spectral reproducibility was high enough to perform statistical analysis on the data and discriminate between different viral strains. Driskell et al [149] were even able to quantify the viral load of the samples.…”