Lighting the Path: Raman Spectroscopy's Journey Through the Microbial Maze.

The rapid and precise identification of microorganisms is essential in environmental science, pharmaceuticals, food safety, and medical diagnostics. Raman spectroscopy, valued for its ability to provide detailed chemical and structural information, has gained significant traction in these fields, especially with the adoption of various excitation wavelengths and tailored optical setups. The choice of wavelength and setup in Raman spectroscopy is influenced by factors such as applicability, cost, and whether bulk or single-cell analysis is performed, each impacting sensitivity and specificity in bacterial detection.

Unveiling Microbial Diversity: Raman Spectroscopy's Discrimination of and Related Genera.

In the clinical environment, the identification of phylogenetic closely related genera and species like and is challenging. Both genera contain representatives of pathogenic and nonpathogenic species that need to be distinguished for a proper diagnostic read-out. Therefore, reliable and accurate detection methods must be employed for the correct identification of these genera and species.

Direct ink writing with dental composites: A paradigm shift toward sustainable chair-side production.

Objectives: To evaluate the dimensional accuracy of occlusal veneers printed using a novel direct ink writing (DIW) system and a clinically approved dental composite.

Methods: A novel three-dimensional printer was developed based on the extrusion-based DIW principle. The printer, constructed primarily with open-source hardware, was calibrated to print with a flowable resin composite (Beautifil Flow Plus).

Raman-Activated, Interactive Sorting of Isotope-Labeled Bacteria.

Due to its high spatial resolution, Raman microspectroscopy allows for the analysis of single microbial cells. Since Raman spectroscopy analyzes the whole cell content, this method is phenotypic and can therefore be used to evaluate cellular changes. In particular, labeling with stable isotopes (SIPs) enables the versatile use and observation of different metabolic states in microbes.

Illuminating the Tiny World: A Navigation Guide for Proper Raman Studies on Microorganisms.

Raman spectroscopy is an emerging method for the identification of bacteria. Nevertheless, a lot of different parameters need to be considered to establish a reliable database capable of identifying real-world samples such as medical or environmental probes. In this review, the establishment of such reliable databases with the proper design in microbiological Raman studies is demonstrated, shining a light into all the parts that require attention.