Method of selectively determining a fungal biomass
AssigneeMycometer ApS
InventorsMorten Miller, Morten Reeslev
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Abstract
A method for selectively determining a fungal biomass by detection of a fungal enzymatic activity that is present in substantially all fungal species, such as enzymes involved in chitin metabolism (chitinase, chitin synthase, chitosanase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and β-N-acetylhexosamidase). The invention can be used for detecting a fungal biomass in environmental samples, food products, plant material, building materials, industrial fungal cultures or sample from a human being or animal including blood samples. In particular, 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminide is used as substrate for β-N-acetylhexosamidase (EC 3.2.1.52). This enzyme activity correlates with the amount of fungal biomass present in a sample.
Claims27
A method of selectively detecting a fungal biomass in a sample, comprising the steps of
- (i) detecting the amount, presence or activity of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase in said sample, and
- (ii) correlating the amount, presence or activity of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase with at least one fungal biomass parameter, the detection being made under conditions where β-N-acetylhexosaminidase of non-fungal origin, if present, cannot be detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.