ANTIBODY-BASED IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIAL PHENOTYPES

摘要

A method for confirming the presence or amount of a particular immunogenic phenotype of a gram negative bacteria in a sample, said method comprising contacting a sample of said bacteria with a labeled binding agent which is specific for a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of said particular phenotype of said bacteria, detecting the presence of a complex formed by said binding agent and LPS within the sample, in particular, using flow cytometry, and relating that to the presence or amount of said phenotype within the sample. The method is particularly suitable for the quality control of vaccines such as F.tularensis LVS.