Patent ID: 6750038
Filing Date: 2004-06-15
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A method for determining susceptibility of bacterial cells to an antibiotic comprising:providing a test substance containing bacterial cells, the susceptibility of which to an antibiotic is sought; contacting the test substance with a growth medium containing the antibiotic, which is known to inhibit an operative enzyme of a bacterial biochemical pathway, to form a test substrate; incubating the test substrate; adding to the test substrate a histochemical reagent capable of generating a chromogenic compound as the result of interaction with the operative enzyme of the biochemical pathway; and, observing the bacterial cells in the test substrate for the presence of the chromogenic compound, wherein: if the chromogenic compound is observed, then the operative enzyme is not inhibited and the bacteria are not susceptible to the antibiotic whereas, if the chromogenic compound is not observed, then the bacteria are susceptible to the antibiotic.