• Michael Beekes, Peter Lasch, and Dieter Naumann.
• P24 - Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany. BeekesM@rki.de
• Vet. Microbiol. 2007 Aug 31; 123 (4): 305-19.

AbstractA genuine biophysical method, Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has become a versatile research tool in biochemistry and biomedicine. Topical applications in microbiology and prion research are impressive illustrations of the vigorous evolution of the technique. FT-IR spectroscopy has established itself as a powerful method for the rapid differentiation and identification of microorganisms, thereby contributing to both clinical medicine and the prevention of bioterrorism. It has also led to considerable progress in various other fields of basic research, not least in prion sciences. In this field, FT-IR spectroscopy has been increasingly applied as a tool for elucidating structural features of the pathological prion protein, and also to study the molecular changes induced by prions in neuronal tissue and blood. This article sets out to give a review of current examples of the analytical potential of FT-IR spectroscopy in microbiology and prion research.

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