Identification of fluorescent Pseudomonas species

Fluorescent pseudomonads may be identified through examination of the fluorescence "profiles" of diffusible pigments released into the growth medium. The profiles are obtained in the form of an emission-excitation matrix, the elements of which correspond to fluorescence intensity as a function of multiple exciting and emitting wavelengths. Use of a rapid scanning fluorometer to acquire these data provides a relatively fast method for identification of the microorganisms after incubation. This procedure can potentially be expanded for the identification of other microorganisms.