ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for virus identification: A powerful alternative

In pandemic times, like the one we are witnessing for COVID-19, the discussion about new efficient and rapid techniques for diagnosis of diseases is more evident. In this mini-review, we present to the virological scientific community the potential of attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy as a diagnosis technique. Herein, we explain the operation of this technique, as well as its advantages over standard methods. In addition, we also present the multivariate analysis tools that can be used to extract useful information from the data towards classification purposes. Tools such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Successive Projections Algorithm (SPA), Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Linear and Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (LDA and QDA) are covered, including examples of published studies. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy are emphasized, as well as future prospects in this field of study that is only growing. One of the main aims of this paper is to encourage the scientific community to explore the potential of this spectroscopic tool to detect changes in biological samples such as those caused by the presence of viruses.