DETECTION OF MICROORGANISMS USING GAS SENSORS

摘要

A method is provided for assessing the contamination status of materials with respect to possible presence of microorganisms, particularly pathogenic microorganisms, by measuring the production of a specific gas or vapour evolved by a sample of the material when it is incubated with a bacterial enzyme substrate. More particularly the present invention relates to the selective detection of (Escherichia coli) organisms in the material sample and relating the presence and/or number of these to the presence and/or number of pathogenic organisms. The method is particularly applicable to testing foodstuffs for the likely presence of pathogens. Most preferred substrates comprise o-nitrophenyl-(beta)-D-glucuronidde and methylsalicyly-(beta)-D-glucuronide. Test kits for carrying out said method are also provided.