[Automated micromethod for the determination of the utilization of carbon sources by clinically significant Pseudomonas species].

The assimilation of 43 different carbon substrates by 93 clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied by a new miniaturized rapid method. Reading of assimilation results was done photometrically after 18-20 h incubation and the resulting data were captured and stored by a microcomputer. The differentiating capacity of the assimilation tests were verified by comparing the results of 41 strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, 48 strains of Pseudomonas putida, 52 strains of Pseudomonas maltophilia and respectively 10 strains of Pseudomonas pseudomallei and Pseudomonas cepacia. The assimilation pattern obtained from the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains agreed to those described in literature and because of miniaturization, standardisation, facility of use and automatic reading the method seems to be suitable for routine laboratory work.