PNA probes, probe sets, methods and kits pertaining to the detection of microorganisms

A PNA probe comprising a probing nucleobase sequence for detecting, identifying or quantitating one or more organisms of interest in a sample wherein the organisms of interest are selected from the group of bacterial species consisting of:

• Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas cepatia, Pseudomonas fluorescens or organisms of a bacterial genus selected from the group consisting of:
• the Salmonella genus, Bacillus genus or Pseudomonas genus, wherein at least a portion of the probing nucleobase sequence is at least ninety percent homologous to the nucleobase sequences selected from the group consisting of:
• GCT-TCT-CGT-CCG-TTC (Seq. ID No. 2);
• CTG-AAT-CCA-GGA-GCA (Seq. ID No. 3);
• AAC-TTG-CTG-AAC-CAC (Seq. ID No. 4);
• CCA-TCG-CAT-CTA-ACA (Seq. ID No. 5);
• TCT-AGT-CAG-TCA-GTT (Seq. ID No. 6);
• CCG-ACT-TGA-CAG-ACC (Seq. ID No. 10);
• CCT-GCC-AGT-TTC-GAA (Seq. ID No. 11);
• CTT-TGT-TCT-GTC-CAT (Seq. ID No. 12);
• GCT-GGC-CTA-GCC-TTC (Seq. ID No. 7);
• GTC-CTC-CTT-GCG-GTT (Seq. ID No. 8) and TTC-TCA-TCC-GCT-CGA (Seq. ID No. 9);
• and sequences fully complementary and of the same length.

A PNA probe set for detecting, identifying or quantitating one or more organisms of interest in a sample wherein the organisms of interest are selected from the group consisting of:

• E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas cepatia, Pseudomonas fluorescens and bacteria of the Salmonella genus, Bacillus genus or Pseudomonas genus and wherein at least one PNA probe of the set has a probing nucleobase sequence such that at least a portion is at least ninety percent homologous to the nucleobase sequences selected from the group consisting of:
• TCA-ATG-AGC-AAA-GGT (Seq. ID No. 1);
• GCT-TCT-CGT-CCG-TTC′-(Seq. ID No. 2);
• CTG-AAT-CCA-GGA-GCA (Seq. ID No. 3);
• AAC-TTG-CTG-AAC-CAC (Seq. ID No. 4);
• CCA-TCG-CAT-CTA-ACA (Seq. ID No. 5);
• TCT-AGT-CAG-TCA-GTT (Seq. ID No. 6);
• CCG-ACT-TGA-CAG-ACC (Seq. ID No. 10);
• CCT-GCC-AGT-TTC-GAA (Seq. ID No. 11);
• CTT-TGT-TCT-GTC-CAT (Seq. ID No. 12);
• GCT-GGC-CTA-G!CC-TTC (Seq. ID No. 7);
• GTC-CTC-CTT-GCG-GTT (Seq. ID No. 8) and TTC-TCA-TCC-GCT-CGA (Seq. ID No. 9);
• and sequences fully complementary and of the same length.

A PNA probe set suitable for detecting, identifying or quantitating one or more USP bacteria in a sample wherein the USP bacteria are selected from the group consisting of:

• E. coli, the Salmonella genus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus and wherein the PNA probes of the set have a probing nucleobase sequence such that at least a portion is at least ninety percent homologous to the nucleobase sequences selected from the group consisting of:
• TCA-ATG-AGC-AAA-GGT.(Seq. ID No. 1);
• CCG-ACT-TGA-CAG-ACC (Seq. ID No. 10);
• CCT-GCC-AGT-TTC-GAA (Seq. ID No. 11);
• CTG-AAT-CCA-GGA-GCA (Seq. ID No. 3);
• AAC-TTG-CTG-AAC-CAC (Seq. ID No. 4) and GCT-TCT-CGT-CCG-TTC (Seq. ID No. 2);
• and sequences fully complementary and of the same length.

A method for detecting, identifying or quantitating one or more organisms of interest in a sample, wherein the organisms of interest are selected from the group consisting of:

• E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas cepatia, Pseudomonas fluorescens and bacteria of the Salmonella genus, Bacillus genus or Pseudomonas genus:
• said method comprising:
• a) contacting the sample with one or more PNA probes, wherein the one or more PNA probes have a probing nucleobase sequence such that at least a portion is at least ninety percent homologous to the nucleobase sequences, or their complements, selected from the group consisting of:
• TCA-ATG-AGC-AAA-GGT (Seq. ID No. 1);
• GCT-TCT-CGT-CCG-TTC (Seq. ID No. 2);
• CTG-AAT-CCA-GGA-GCA (Seq. ID No. 3);
• AAC-TTG-CTG-AAC-CAC (Seq. ID No. 4);
• CCA-TCG-CAT-CTA-ACA (Seq. ID No. 5);
• TCT-AGT-CAG-TCA-GTT (Seq. ID No. 6);
• CCG-ACT-TGA-CAG-ACC (Seq. ID No. 10);
• CCT-GCC-AGT-TTC-GAA (Seq. ID No. 11);
• CTT-TGT-TCT-GTC-CAT (Seq. ID No. 12);
• GCT-GGC-CTA-GCC-TTC (Seq. ID No. 7);
• GTC-CTC-CTT-GCG-GTT (Seq. ID No. 8);
• and TTC-TCA-TCC-GCT-CGA (Seq. ID No. 9);
• and sequences fully complementary and of the same length;
• and
• b. detecting, identify or quantitating hybridization of the probing nucleobase sequence of the one or more PNA probes to the target sequence of an organism of interest, under suitable hybridization conditions or suitable in-situ hybridization conditions, and correlating the result with the presence, absence or number of the one or more organisms of interest in the sample.

A kit suitable for performing an assay which detects the presence, absence or number of one or more organisms of interest in a sample, wherein said kit comprises:

• a) one or more PNA probes, wherein the PNA probes have a probing nucleobase sequence such that at least a portion is at least ninety percent homologous to the nucleobase sequences selected from the group consisting of:
• TCA-ATG-AGC-AAA-GGT (Seq. ID No. 1);
• GCT-TCT-CGT-CCG-TTC (Seq. ID No. 2);
• CTG-AAT-CCA-GGA-GCA (Seq. ID No. 3);
• AAC-TTG-CTG-AAC-CAC (Seq. ID No. 4);
• CCA-TCG-CAT-CTA-ACA (Seq. ID No. 5);
• TCT-AGT-CAG-TCA-GTT (Seq. ID No. 6);
• CCG-ACT-TGA-CAG-ACC (Seq. ID No. 10);
• CCT-GCC-AGT-TTC-GAA (Seq. ID No. 11);
• CTT-TGT-TCT-GTC-CAT (Seq. ID No. 12);
• GCT-GGC-CTA-GCC-TTC (Seq. ID No. 3;
• GTC-CTC-CTT-GCG-GTT (Seq. ID No. 8) and TTC-TCA-TCC-GCT-CGA (Seq. ID No. 9) and sequences fully complementary and of the same length;
• and
• b) other reagents or compositions necessary to perform the assay.