ABSTRACT
This chapter delineates the direct counting of “hair-like” structures (pili) specific for Gram-positive bacteria using IVDS and confirmed by mass spectrometry. Indications show that these structures are intact after removal from cells and are sufficiently different from species to species of bacteria. Thus, they can indicate bacteria type if not specific identification. Detection of pili represents a new approach to bacteria detection and identification. This report documents the detection of the bacterial structures using the physical nanometer counting methodology of the IVDS and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry techniques (Wick 2010a).
