Fate Study of Water Borne Gram Positive Vegetative Bacterial Cells with Raman Microscopy

摘要

We present an initial bacterial fate study of Gram positive vegetative cells suspended in water and stored at ambient room temperature via Raman spectroscopy monitoring. Two types of cells were considered for this study: vegetative cells of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis which contain the polyhydroxybutyric acid (PHBA) as an energy storage compound and Bacillus subtlilis cells which do not. The cells were cultured specifically for this project. Immediately following the culturing phase, the bacteria were extracted, cleaned and at the onset of the study were suspended in de-ionized water and stored at room temperature. Aliquots of suspensions were deposited onto aluminum slides at different times and allowed to dry for Raman analysis. Spectra from multiple regions of each dried spot and each deposit time were acquired along with the bright-field and fluorescence images. Results were examined to investigate the effect of suspension time on the spectral signatures as well as the fate behavior of the three types of cells investigated. The cells were monitored daily for over a 14 period during which time the onset of starvation induced sporulation was observed.