Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is used to improve Raman scattering, often allowing the detection of single molecules. It generates molecularly specific fingerprints of analytes, and, with carefully controlled experimental conditions, can be highly quantitative. Roy Goodacre, a professor of biological chemistry at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, first used this technique to achieve whole-organism fingerprinting of bacteria, and then explored SERS in a variety of other applications, including within biotechnology, disease diagnostics, quantitative detection, imaging, food security, and more. Goodacre is the 2021 winner of the Charles Mann Award for Applied Raman Spectroscopy, which will be presented at this year's SciX conference.