Journal of Fungi (Jan 2025)

Rapid Identification of Clinically Relevant <i>Candida</i> spp. by I-dOne Software Using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) Spectroscopy

  • Iacopo Franconi,
  • Roberta Fais,
  • Cesira Giordano,
  • Benedetta Tuvo,
  • Chiaramaria Stani,
  • Arianna Tavanti,
  • Simona Barnini,
  • Antonella Lupetti

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11010040
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
p. 40

Abstract

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Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a spectrum-based technique that quantifies the absorption of infrared light by molecules present in the microbial cell. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of the ATR-FTIR spectroscopic technique via I-dOne software (Version 2.0) compared with the MALDI-TOF MS in identifying Candida spp. Each infrared spectrum was compared with spectra stored in the software database. The updated version of the I-dOne software was used to analyze ATR-FTIR spectra. All Candida isolates 284/284 (100%) were classified correctly according to the genus. Overall species identification yielded 272/284 (95.8%) concordant identification results with MALDI-TOF MS. Additionally, all 79 isolates belonging to the Candida parapsilosis species complex were identified correctly to the species level with the updated version of the I-dOne software. Only 12 (4.2%) isolates were misidentified at the species level. The present study highlights the potential diagnostic performance of the I-dOne software with ATR-FTIR spectroscopic technique referral spectral database as a real alternative for routine identification of the most frequently isolated Candida spp.

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