Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting low concentrations of bacteria in liquid solution that may or may not be complex liquid solutions. In one embodiment, immunomagnetic separation (IMS) is used to separate target bacterium that may be in a liquid mixture from other constituents in the mixture. A low concentration of a bacteriophage for the target bacteria is subsequently used to infect target bacterial cells that have been captured using the IMS technique. If at least a certain concentration of target bacterium are present, the bacteriophage will multiply to a point that is detectable. Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF-MS) is then used to produce a mass spectrum that is analyzed to determine if one or more proteins associated with the bacteriophage are present, thereby indirectly indicating that target bacterium were present in the liquid mixture.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting low concentrations of bacteria in liquid solution that may or may not be complex liquid solutions. In one embodiment, immunomagnetic separation (IMS) is used to separate target bacterium that may be in a liquid mixture from other constituents in the mixture. A low concentration of a bacteriophage for the target bacteria is subsequently used to infect target bacterial cells that have been captured using the IMS technique. If at least a certain concentration of target bacterium are present, the bacteriophage will multiply to a point that is detectable. Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF-MS) is then used to produce a mass spectrum that is analyzed to determine if one or more proteins associated with the bacteriophage are present, thereby indirectly indicating that target bacterium were present in the liquid mixture.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting low concentrations of bacteria in liquid solution that may or may not be complex liquid solutions. In one embodiment, immunomagnetic separation (IMS) is used to separate target bacterium that may be in a liquid mixture from other constituents in the mixture. A low concentration of a bacteriophage for the target bacteria is subsequently used to infect target bacterial cells that have been captured using the IMS technique. If at least a certain concentration of target bacterium are present, the bacteriophage will multiply to a point that is detectable. Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization/time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI/TOF-MS) is then used to produce a mass spectrum that is analyzed to determine if one or more proteins associated with the bacteriophage are present, thereby indirectly indicating that target bacterium were present in the liquid mixture.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for determining whether a particular bacteria is present in a liquid mixture of biological material. In one embodiment, the invention comprises the steps of providing a sampling structure comprised of a body to which antibodies for a particular type of bacteria have been bonded and exposing the sampling structure to a liquid medium that may contain whole cell bacteria for the particular type of bacteria. If such bacteria are present, there is a likelihood that the antibodies will capture some of the bacteria. The method further comprises performing a separation operation to remove materials located adjacent to the sampling structure that may corrupt a subsequent MALDI-TOF analysis, preparing the sampling structure surface with any captured bacteria for MALDI-TOF analysis, subjecting any captured bacteria to a MALDI-TOF analysis to produce a mass spectrum, and analyzing the mass spectrum determine if the particular type of bacteria is present in the liquid mixture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the detection of the likely presence of a virus in the environment. The detection is accomplished in a relatively rapid fashion that permits countermeasures to be taken to reduce the debilitating or deadly effects of the virus upon the target population. In one embodiment, the detection is accomplished by looking for the mass spectral signature or biomarker for a lipid, which is present in the cell cultures used to produce the virus. One biomarker that is considered particularly diagnostic for the presence of a virus is cholesterol.