The interaction of the protein lysozyme with bacteria E. coli observed using nanodiamond labelling

The application of a nanometre-sized diamond in Raman-detectable biolabelling is demonstrated in this study. The interaction of a lysozyme-nanodiamond complex with bacteria E. coli was observed via Raman mapping using the diamond Raman signal as the labelling marker. The results are compared with scanning electron microscope observations, and the adsorbed lysozyme's functionality is analysed. High antibacterial activity of lysozyme-nanodiamond complex was observed, equivalent to active lysozyme in solution. The results suggest that nanodiamond labelling can be effective and that it can be applied in ambient conditions without complicated sample pre-treatments