Introduction

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy/Scattering (SERS) is a technique that can be used to analyze biomolecules in various fields including medicine for diagnostic and forensic purposes, drug development and drug detection. We propose an innovative procedure that can strengthen SERS application to biofluids analysis by facilitating sample preparation, which is usually expensive, time consuming and error prone.

Technical features

SERS requires the use of a substrate, on top of which the sample is deposited, to obtain the Raman spectrum containing the desired information. Nevertheless the available substrates for biofluids analysis do not guarantee reproducibility, are difficult to obtain and often require sample pre-treatment. The research group developed a substrate and set up a procedure that can be used on small sample volume (5 µL), does not require sample pre-treatment and compared to other SERS protocols is less time consuming and simplifies the execution. The proposed procedure is compatible with blood, serum, plasma, urine, saliva, ascitic fluid and other body fluids, and can potentially be used as minimally invasive diagnostic test.

Possible Applications

• Minimally invasive diagnostic test for cancer or other pathologies;
• Forensic medicine;
• Drug development and detection.

Advantages

• Improves analysis reproducibility and accuracy;
• No sample pre-treatment;
• Cost and time effective;
• Compatible with a large selection of biofluids.