Microbial analysis without cell purification

A method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the method comprising:

• obtaining a polymicrobial specimen;
• dividing the specimen into division wells wherein at least some of the division wells comprise different antimicrobial agents or concentrations of one or more agents;
• incubating the specimen in the wells to allow differential growth in response to the different antimicrobial agents or concentrations of antimicrobial agents;
• labeling specific target cells in the specimen with photonically fluorescently labeled nucleic acid probes wherein said fluorescently labeled nucleic acid probes bind to target specific sequences on ribosomal RNA;
• incubating said labeled target cells with magnetic particles thus forming complexes of fluorescently labeled target cells bound to magnetic particles, wherein said photonic fluorescent labeling of said target cells and said incubating of said target cells with magnetic particles occur in a concerted reaction;
• depositing said complexes on a detection surface of each imaging well using magnetic force;
• and
• counting individual target cells of the complexes in each imaging well using digital imaging to identify the antimicrobial agent or concentration of an antimicrobial agent that inhibits growth of the target cells.