Patent ID: 7270957

Claim:
A method for detecting and determining the quantity of bacteria that oxidize ammonia to nitrite in a medium, wherein the 16S rDNA of the bacteria includes a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2, comprising: providing a detectably labeled probe comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:5; isolating total DNA from the medium; exposing the isolated total DNA to the detectably labeled probe under conditions under which the probe hybridizes to only the nucleic acid of the 16S rDNA having the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2, thereby forming a hybridized probe; and detecting and measuring the amount of the hybridized probe, wherein the presence of hybridized probe is indicative of the presence of bacteria that oxidize ammonia to nitrite and the amount of hybridized probe is indicative of the quantity of said bacteria that oxidize ammonia to nitrite in said medium.