Abstract: A method for detecting microorganisms includes obtaining a sample from a source of interest and applying the sample to a selective growth medium to permit any microorganisms of interest in the sample to grow. Any microorganisms that have grown are harvested. An immunoassay is then conducted to detect the microorganism of interest, if any, with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. A system that may be used to grow, harvest, and detect a microorganism of interest includes a growth plate, or dish, a lavage solution, a lavage apparatus, and an assay apparatus. The dish may include a vessel with multiple sections, at least one of which is used to grow microorganisms of interest, and another of which is configured to receive and contain harvested microorganisms of interest.

Abstract: Biological assay systems with enhanced sensitivity may employ waveguides. Quantum dots, which are inorganic fluorescent markers, may be used as markers that will indicate a presence of amount of one or more target molecules (e.g., analytes) in a sample. Multiple markers may be bound to each target molecule or a corresponding competitive molecule to provide a more intense signal from each such molecule and, thus, increased sensitivity. Such multiple binding may be effected by cascading techniques, by binding markers to multiple sites on a target molecule or corresponding competitive molecule, or otherwise.