title: A rapid enzymatic procedure for "fingerprinting" bacteria by using pattern recognition of two-dimensional fluorescence data.
abstract: We describe a rapid fluorescence technique for bacterial "fingerprinting," based on the differences in enzyme content and activity of various bacteria. Bacterial cells are incubated with a mixture of carefully chosen fluorogenic enzyme substrates to produce fluorophores with unique emission and excitation properties. The resulting two-dimensional fluorescence spectrum of the product mixture produces a pattern characteristic of the bacterium. A Fourier-transform-based pattern recognition algorithm is used for spectral matching and for differentiating visually similar spectra. This sensitive technique is potentially applicable to differentiation and identification of bacteria in clinical laboratories.
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D005615:Freezing; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D013997:Time Factors