Patent ID: 8883437

Claim:
A method of detecting in microorganisms a nitroreductase activity, comprising the following steps: a) having available a detection and/or identification medium comprising a compound of formula (I) wherein: W 1 , W 2 , W 3 and W 4 are independently H, Br, Cl, F, I, alkyl, alkoxy, thiomethyl, perfluoroalkyl, nitro, cyano, carboxyl (including its esters or amides) or any combination thereof n=0, 1 or 2 X is NR, CZ 5 Z 6 , S or O, R being H, alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, alkanoic or alkylsulfonic, Z 5 and Z 6 being an alkyl Y is N or N + R, R being alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, alkanoic or alkylsulfonic Z 1 , Z 2 , Z 3 and Z 4 being independently H, Br, Cl, F, I, alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, perfluoroalkyl, nitro, cyano, carboxyl, sulfonyl, including the esters or amides of carboxyl or sulfonyl and salts thereof; b) inoculating the medium with a biological sample that may contain the microorganism to be detected, c) allowing to incubate, and d) detecting the presence of at least one nitroreductase activity.