Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
236 words
A method for determining the effect of one or more antimicrobial agents on the growth of one or more microorganisms present in a sample, wherein said microorganisms belong to a specific category of microorganisms, said method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting an aliquot of said sample containing said antimicrobial agents with a nucleic acid probe able to specifically hybridize with a ribosomal nucleic acid subunit subsequence specific to said category of microorganisms at a predetermined time, wherein said probe is complementary to less than the entire ribosomal nucleic acid subunit sequence of any microorganism belonging to said category of microorganisms, and wherein said probe is not complementary to a nucleotide base sequence of a ribosomal nucleic acid subunit of any organism not belong to said category of microorganisms; (b) incubating said aliquot and said probe under selective hybridization conditions, such that said probe specifically hybridizes with said ribosomal nucleic acid subunit subsequence specific to said category of microorganisms; (c) assaying for hybridization of said probe with said microorganisms as an indication of the amount of said microorganisms in said sample at said predetermined time; (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) one or more times at different predetermined times; and (e) comparing the amounts of probe hybridized with said microorganisms in each said aliquot at each said predetermined time in order to determine the effect of said antimicrobial agents on the growth of said microorganisms in said sample.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
236 words
A method for determining the effect of one or more antimicrobial agents on the growth of one or more microorganisms present in a sample, wherein said microorganisms belong to a specific category of microorganisms, said method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting an aliquot of said sample containing said antimicrobial agents with a nucleic acid probe able to specifically hybridize with a ribosomal nucleic acid subunit subsequence specific to said category of microorganisms at a predetermined time, wherein said probe is complementary to less than the entire ribosomal nucleic acid subunit sequence of any microorganism belonging to said category of microorganisms, and wherein said probe is not complementary to a nucleotide base sequence of a ribosomal nucleic acid subunit of any organism not belong to said category of microorganisms; (b) incubating said aliquot and said probe under selective hybridization conditions, such that said probe specifically hybridizes with said ribosomal nucleic acid subunit subsequence specific to said category of microorganisms; (c) assaying for hybridization of said probe with said microorganisms as an indication of the amount of said microorganisms in said sample at said predetermined time; (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) one or more times at different predetermined times; and (e) comparing the amounts of probe hybridized with said microorganisms in each said aliquot at each said predetermined time in order to determine the effect of said antimicrobial agents on the growth of said microorganisms in said sample.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
93 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the steps of: contacting an aliquot of said sample not containing said antimicrobial agents with said nucleic acid probe at a predetermined time; incubating said aliquot and said probe under selective hybridization conditions, such that said probe specifically hybridizes with said ribosomal nucleic acid subunit subsequence specific to said category of microorganisms; and assaying for hybridization of said probe with said microorganisms as an indication of the amount of said microorganisms in said sample not containing said antimicrobial agents at said predetermined time.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said category of microorganisms belongs to a taxon selected from the group consisting of species, genus, family, order, class, phylum and kingdom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said probe is labelled.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 4, wherein said label is selected from the group consisting of a radiolabel, a fluor, an enzyme and biotin.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said category of microorganisms belongs to a taxon selected from the group consisting of species, genus, family, order, class, phylum and kingdom.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said probe is labelled.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 7, wherein said label is selected from the group consisting of a radiolabel, a fluor, an enzyme and biotin.