Abstract: A test for microbial growth is carried out by culturing a microorgnism to be tested in a lliquid culture medium containing an enzymatically hydrolyzable fluorogenic substrate for a period of less than about 7 hours, measuring fluorescence of the culture medium resulting from hydrolysis of the fluorogenic substrate by growth of the microorganism, continuing culturing of the microorganism in the culture medium for an additional period, and measuring microorganism growth by a non-fluorescent method as a confirmatory test of growth determined from fluorescence. Preferably, the additional culture period is overnight and the non-fluorescent method is by visual inspection. The culture medium may be in the wall of a microtitre plate, and the culture medium can contain an antibiotic to test for sensitivity of a microorganism to the antibiotic or to test for minimum inhibitory concentration of the antibiotic.

Abstract: A process for stabilizing compounds which comprises dispensing a solution of a film-forming material and the compound to be stabilized on a solid surface and allowing the solvent to evaporate to leave on the solid surface a quantity of material in the form of a thin coherent, dry flim adhering to said solid surface; and device for the application of said method and especially useful for performing biological tests.