On Tue, 22 Jul 1997, Simon Geraghty wrote:
> I need a rapid microscopic method for determining gram positive cell
> viability. Apparently flourescence microscopy can be used for this. Has
> anyone had any experience with this type of method or are there any
> references?
I've been using a fluorescent probe indicative of membrane integrity, i.e.
BacLight probe from Molecular Probes. Viability is then defined as
physical integrity. It is easy to use. I've used it with cultures and with
environmental samples.
Other probes on the market will provide info about activity such as respiration
(CTC probe), etc. Contact me if you want further info.
It is worth reading the chapter 5 of the Manual of Environmental
Microbiology, published in 1997 by ASM. It concerns analytical imaging and
microscopy techniques, including BacLight, CTC, etc.
Cheers,
Olivier
Olivier Decamp, PhD
Faculty of Applied Biological Science
Hiroshima University
Higashi-Hiroshima 739
Japan
Tel/Fax: +81-824-24-7939
Email: microbe at ipc.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
