Detection of Bacteria, Viruses, Parasites and Fungi

Abstract

Solid-phase cytometry (SPC) was developed to meet the demand for fast and sensitive microbial detection and quantification methods. By combining the principles of epifluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, this technique allows accurate, fast and automated detection of single microbial cells. SPC analysis is a five-step procedure, including membrane filtration, fluorescent labelling of the retained cells, scanning of the membrane filter, data analysis by a computer and microscopic validation. The aim of this review is to present the basic principles of SPC, its advantages and disadvantages and to discuss the existing applications as well as some perspectives for future research.