Patent Document ID: 20060115824
Application ID: 11107458
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for microbial monitoring in a process or system, comprising: a) obtaining, at each of a plurality of time points, at least one test sample from a process or system receptive to a plurality of genetically distinct microbes; b) determining for each test sample, and by using a plurality of suitable tests, a presence or absence for each of a plurality of markers of at least one target microbe, wherein at least one of the markers also detects at least one index microbe present in the sample, and wherein the at least one target microbe is considered present only when at least a plurality of all markers tested is determined to be present; and c) further determining, for each time point, at least one index value that is proportional to the number of markers present, whereby temporal changes in the index value are monitored, and microbial monitoring in a process or system is, at least in part, afforded.