Pathways in Spectroscopy Preview: Working in Clinical Laboratory Settings

Whether you’re a postdoctoral researcher or a student, there are going to be routine obstacles that you encounter in the laboratory. One of these challenges is how you conduct analytical tests in the laboratory, especially when working with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) assays.

In an upcoming two-part series on “Pathways in Spectroscopy,” Sloan-Dennison will provide some practical tips for researchers currently working in clinical settings. She will offer advice based on her own experiences on the things to keep in mind when working with SERS assays, and what are some of the common mistakes to avoid.

What is a SERS assay?

A SERS assay is an analytical test that uses SERS to detect and measure molecules at very low concentrations, usually for clinical diagnostics and food monitoring.¹

SERS builds on regular Raman spectroscopy, which identifies molecules by measuring how light scatters after interacting with their chemical bonds.² The catch with standard Raman is that the signal is usually very weak. SERS fixes this by placing molecules near nanostructured metal surfaces, usually gold nanoparticles or silver nanoparticles, which dramatically amplify the Raman signal through localized electromagnetic enhancement.^2,3

A SERS assay typically includes:

• a substrate or nanoparticle surface that enhances signal,
• a target analyte (such as a drug, biomarker, pathogen, or contaminant),
• and often a recognition element like an antibody, aptamer, or molecular probe to selectively capture the target.

What are the main advantages of using SERS assays?

Using SERS assays comes with numerous key advantages. Some of the main advantages include its high sensitivity, rapid analysis, and minimal sample preparation.³ The main headaches include reproducibility and substrate consistency because nanostructures can be finicky.

This is why these upcoming “Pathways in Spectroscopy” episodes are worth watching. For researchers to succeed in their careers, understanding how to work with SERS can help them set themselves apart from other candidates.

The two parts of our conversation with Sloan-Dennison will be published on June 1^st and 8^th.

References

1. Zangana, S.; Veres, M.; Bonyar, A. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)-Based Sensors for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Detection. Molecules 2024, 29 (14), 3338. DOI: 10.3390/molecules29143338
2. Schultz, Z. D. SERS and TERS. Spectrosc. Suppl. 2020. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/sers-and-ters
3. Horiba, What is Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)? Horiba.com. Available at: https://www.horiba.com/usa/scientific/technologies/raman-imaging-and-spectroscopy/raman-explained-faq/what-is-surface-enhanced-raman-scattering-sers/ (accessed 2026-05-13).