Fluorescent detection method for microorganisms based on nitrocoumarins
AssigneeBiomerieux
InventorsArthur James, Daniel Monget
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Abstract
A nitrocoumarin compound or one of its derivatives which are fluorescent in the reduced state, and the use of these compounds for detecting the presence or absence of at least one microorganism. The invention concerns the use of these compounds, methods for isolating and detecting microorganisms or a group of microorganisms in a sample likely to contain them, and various applications thereof. Also disclosed is a method for detecting nitroaryl reductase activity in a bacteria culture medium.
Claims9
A method for detecting a single microorganism or a group of microorganisms in a sample, comprising:
- adding a non-fluorescent compound to a culture medium which contains the sample, wherein said non-fluorescent compound is 7-nitrocoumarin or a non-fluorescent derivative thereof,
- reducing said non-fluorescent compound to a fluorescent compound by reaction with at least one microorganism contained in said sample,
- detecting a fluorescent signal corresponding to said microorganism or group of microorganisms from said sample.
A method for identifying at least one microorganism in a sample which may contain such a microorganism, comprising:
- adding a non-fluorescent compound selected from the group consisting of 7-nitrocoumarin or a derivative thereof to a plurality of individual identification wells, each well containing a culture medium based on a single carbon source and an aliquot of a test sample,
- illuminating each of said identification wells with light at an excitation wavelength,
- monitoring said plurality of identification wells for emission of a fluorescent signal, the presence or absence of a fluorescent signal from each of said identification wells making it possible to identify a microorganism in said sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.