title: The use of colorimetric sensor arrays to discriminate between pathogenic bacteria.
abstract: A colorimetric sensor array is a high-dimensional chemical sensor that is cheap, compact, disposable, robust, and easy to operate, making it a good candidate technology to detect pathogenic bacteria, especially potential bioterrorism agents like Yersinia pestis and Bacillus anthracis which feature on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's list of potential biothreats. Here, a colorimetric sensor array was used to continuously monitor the volatile metabolites released by bacteria in solid media culture in an Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogen Containment Level 3 laboratory. At inoculum concentrations as low as 8 colony-forming units per plate, 4 different bacterial species were identified with 100% accuracy using logistic regression to classify the kinetic profile of sensor responses to culture headspace gas. The sensor array was able to further discriminate between different strains of the same species, including 5 strains of Yersinia pestis and Bacillus anthracis. These preliminary results suggest that disposable colorimetric sensor arrays can be an effective, low-cost tool to identify pathogenic bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK. cllonsdale@mail.dstl.gov.uk
authors.forename: Claire L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lonsdale
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taba
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Queralto
authors.forename: Roman A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lukaszewski
authors.forename: Raymond A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: Sung H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000517:prevention & control; D003124:Colorimetry / Q000379:methods*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000378:metabolism; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016015:Logistic Models; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013045:Species Specificity; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D005740:Gases