Determination of microbial cells in aqueous samples

摘要

The present invention encompasses a method for enumerating microbial cells in an aqueous test sample comprising: fluorescently labeling the microbial cells in test sample intermixing a known amount of monodispersed fluorescently labeled beads of about cell size into the test sample, and determining the ratio of bacterial cells to fluorescently labeled beads, the reagents for practicing this method. The methods and reagents of the present invention are particularly useful in counting bacterial cells in urine.