Detection of exogenous VOCs as a novel in vitro diagnostic technique for the detection of pathogenic bacteria

The evolution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) provides an opportunistic approach for the detection of pathogenic bacteria. This approach can be enhanced by the application of VOC-labelled enzyme substrates that target specific enzyme activities of the bacteria under investigation. Detection of the VOCs provides a novel, specific and sensitive approach for the detection of pathogenic bacteria. This review highlights the importance of this approach alongside a range of alternative detection techniques for the identification of pathogenic bacteria.