Abstract: Method for the detection of dormant cryptobiotic microbes by detection of electromagnetic radiation emitted from intrinsic alkali earth metal pyridine dicarboxylic acid salts in the 710 nm to 860 nm region when excited with electromagnetic energy in the 610 nm to 680 nm region. Utilizing the novel lower energy emission of intrinsic calcium dipicolinic acid salts makes it possible to quickly detect bacterial spores, fungal spores and oocysts without the need for any added reagents, sample processing, or contact with the sample.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the detection of biological material on non-living surfaces in which samples are exposed to electromagnetic radiation of specific energies capable of exciting various intrinsic fluorophores, and these fluorophores emit fluorescence that can be measured. The signal from the background, scattered excitation light and reflected excitation light is removed from the fluorescence signals due to the intrinsic fluorophores from the biological material and the intensities of the signals from the intrinsic fluorophores are required to lie within expected ranges.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method for the binding of pathogenic microorganisms and their toxic proteins with ligands that have been covalently tethered at some distance from the surface of a substrate: distances of at least fifteen Å are required for microorganism binding ligand tethers and at least six Å are required for protein binding ligand tethers. The ligands described herein include heme compounds, siderophores, polysaccharides, and peptides specific for toxic proteins, outer membrane proteins and conjugated lipids. Non-binding components of the solution to be analyzed are separated from the bound fraction and binding is confirmed by detection of the analyte via microscopy, fluorescence, epifluorescence, luminescence, phosphorescence, radioactivity, or optical absorbance. By patterning numerous ligands in an array on a substrate surface it is possible to taxonomically identify the microorganism by analysis of the binding pattern of the sample to the array.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for the detection of microbes in liquids, in air and on non-living surfaces in which samples are exposed to electromagnetic radiation of specific energies capable of exciting various metabolites, cofactors and cellular and spore components, with the microbial cells to be sampled (and more specifically the excited metabolites, cofactors and or other cellular components) contained therein emit fluorescence that can be measured. The signal from the background and scattered excitation signals is removed from the fluorescence signals of the microbial components, the relative fluorescent signals of the intrinsic microbial components are required to lie within physiological ranges, and the amplitude of the background-corrected fluorescence signals used to enumerate the microbe content in the sample.