Queen's University at Kingston

Other

Arthur N Ley

Samir P Tabash

R Stephen Brown

Raymond J Bowers

Igor S Kozin

Robin A Wynne-Edwards

Eric J P Marcotte

John G St Marseille

Kevin R Hall

Moe Hussain

Peter V Hodson

Parveen Akhtar

Michael J Taylor

Neil E Rickey

John G Stmarseille

Eric J-P Marcotte

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting a biological molecule associated with enzyme activity in a sample. The invention is applicable to detecting a microorganism associated with an enzyme in a sample such as water, food, soil, or a biological sample. According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, a sample containing an enzyme of interest or a microorganism associated with the enzyme is combined with a suitable substrate, and a fluorescent product of the enzyme-substrate reaction is selectively detected. The fluorescent product is detected with a partitioning element or optical probe/partitioning element of the invention. In one embodiment the partitioning element provides for partitioning of only the fluorescent product molecule into the probe. The invention also provides an automated system for monitoring for biological contamination of water or other samples.

Detection of biological molecules by differential partitioning of enzyme substrates and products

The present invention provides a method which is specific to determining and is capable of enumerating Escherichia coli (E. coli) in a sample water or sewage specimen. The method comprises adding to a cultured specimen a chromogenic reagent which when subjected to in situ E. coli .beta.-glucuronidase activity produces clearly defined vivid colorization of any individual colonies derived from E. coli cells in the test specimen.

Escherichia coli (e.coli) test method

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Kingston, Canada

Arthur N Ley