Patent ID: 8741588

Claim:
A method of differentiating a methicillin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus from a methicillin-sensitive strain of Staphylococcus aureus , comprising the steps of: (i) obtaining a biological sample suspected of comprising a strain of Staphylococcus; (ii) providing a detection system by contacting the biological sample with at least one capture monoclonal antibody characterized as having specific affinity for an epitope of a PBP2a protein isolated from a methicillin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus , wherein the monoclonal antibody is further characterized as distinguishing a methicillin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus from a methicillin-sensitive strain of Staphylococcus aureus , wherein the at least one capture monoclonal antibody is selected from the group consisting of the monoclonal antibodies designated: 4B10.B6 produced by the hybridoma having the ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-12026, and 20G10H8 produced by the hybridoma having the ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-12027; and (iii) detecting the binding of the at least one capture monoclonal antibody to the biological sample, thereby detecting a population of methicillin-resistant S. aureus in the biological sample.