Distinguishing Methicillin-Resistant and Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Using Volatile Headspace Metabolites

This proof-of-concept study used solid-phase microextraction fibers (SPME) to collect headspace vapors from a methicillin sensitive
Staphylococcus aureus
(MSSA) and a methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) strain grown
in vitro
in liquid growth medium. The collected molecules were separated and identified using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Preliminary results distinguished these two strains and provide a foundation for a biomarker library that could one day serve as a diagnostic tool for identifying specific bacterial infections.