Abstract
Present methods for the detection of micro-organisms in the environment are slow, inefficient and often unreliable. Alternative approaches which are reliable and rapid, enabling results to be obtained within one working day, are required. The development of molecular techniques, in particular in situ hybridisation offers the potential for rapid and specific assays. This paper describes the use of oligonucleotide probes targeted against the 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA molecules of Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium parvum for rapid and specific detection.
In situ hybridisations with biotinylated peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes in combination with the tyramide signal amplification (TSA) system enabled the specific detection of Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium parvum within 3 hours. The C. parvum assay provided a species-specific alternative to the currently available fluorescent antibody approach.
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© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Fricker, C.R. (2000). From Media to Molecules: New Approaches to the Detection of Micro-Organisms in Water. In: Belkin, S. (eds) Environmental Challenges. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4369-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4369-1_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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