Approximately 15% of bacterial infections are caused by Non-Enterobacteriaceae Gram-Negative Bacilli. This is an extremely heterogeneous group of bacteria, and present speciation methods are very unsatisfactory. Biolog holds two patents on a new redox method of testing which can be developed into identification tests for all clinically important microorganisms. These tests will identify an organism based on patterns of carbon source utilization. The method employs a tetrazolium dye to colorimetrically indicate carbon source oxidation. This Phase I study will demonstrate the feasiblity of developing a rapid and accurate speciation kit for Non-Enterobacteriaceae Gram-Negative Bacilli. Two tasks are involved: (1) the development of a suspension medium compatible with the redox chemistry which is tailored to this group of organisms, and (2) a survey of approximately 200 organic chemicals to demonstrate that new and useful speciation tests can be found. Biolog's technology offers many advantages over present technologies. The principal advantages are: (1) speed - for most microorganisms tests can be completed in 2 hours, (2) simplicity - this is an easy to inoculate and read single color method, and (3) accuracy - drawing from thousands of potential carbon source utilization tests should enable us to develop tests that are more accurate than any presently available.
