Abstract: Compositions containing bacteriophages and methods of using bacteriophages in microorganism detection assays and microbial growth and plating media are disclosed. The lytic ability of these phages to control the growth of non-target populations provides superior sensitivity and specificity to detection assays and reduces false negative and false positive results. The removal of contaminating bacteria reduces the microbial competition for nutrients in the growth media thereby increasing the efficiency and productivity of the culture. The phage treatment of the sample increases the proportion of target microorganisms in the sample over contaminating bacteria thereby requiring less time for enrichment to obtain a significant signal improving overall signal to noise ratio in assays and providing for higher yield of end product in microbiological production systems.

Abstract: An assay device for the detection of analyte in a sample, methods and immunoassay formats for performing an assay with or without the device, and methods for manufacturing the device are provided. The device is a continuous liquid flow channel having a proximal and a distal end, with a detection membrane in fluid communication with the distal end of the flow channel. Interspersed between the assay buffer and detection membrane, and continuous with the liquid flow channel, are a sample delivery means, one or more reservoirs containing the reagents necessary for conducting the assay, and, optionally, mixing or incubation reservoirs for combining the sample and reagents. The geometry of the liquid flow channel regulates the flow rate of the liquids through the channel, thereby controlling incubation, mixing and reaction time. The preferred detection membrane is an immunochromatographic test strip containing immobilized reagents.