Detection and identification of groups of bacteria

1. A method for the detection of bacteria comprising the steps:

a) coupling one or more species of isolated bacteriophage tail proteins onto a support;

b) incubating said support coupled with said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins with a sample, whereby bacteria in said sample are bound to said bacteriophage tail proteins;

c) contacting the bacteria bound to said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins with bacteriophages and/or bacteriophage proteins that bind specifically to the bacteria to be detected;

d) removing bacteriophages and/or bacteriophage proteins not bound to the bacteria; and

e) detecting the bound bacteria (i) by an enzyme coupled to said specifically bound bacteriophages and/or bacteriophage proteins, or (ii) by an immunoassay.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins are coupled to said support via adsorption, via chemical binding or via further proteins.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins are biotinylated and bound via Streptavidin or Streptavidin or Avidin variants.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins are T4 p12, T2 p12, K3 p12 or the short bacteriophage tail proteins of the phage Felix 01, P1 or PB1 or derivatives or fragments thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins comprise the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO:1 or 3.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins exhibit modifications.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins of one or more phage species detect at least two different bacterial species and/or genera.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said support is a microtiter plate, a test strip, slide, wafer, filter material or a flow through cell chamber, and composed of polystyrene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polymethylmetaacrylate (PMMA), cellulose acetate, nitrocellulose, glass or silicium wafer.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detection of bacteria is used in medicine, food industry and analytics, animal breeding, drinking water analytics or environmental analytics.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step, following step b) and preceding step c), of removing said sample and bacteria not bound to said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the bound bacteria comprises detecting an enzyme previously coupled to said specifically bound bacteriophages.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the bound bacteria comprises an immunoassay.

13. A method for the detection of bacteria comprising the steps:

a) coupling one or more species of isolated bacteriophage tail proteins onto a support;

b) incubating said support coupled with said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins with a sample, whereby bacteria in said sample are bound to said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins;

c) removing said sample from the bacteria not bound to said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins;

d) adding substances which permeate or destroy the bacterial membrane, and

e) detecting bound bacteria by bacterial cellular enzymes, nucleic acids, proteins, lipids or sugar residues.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the bacterial cellular enzyme is β-galactosidase.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins are coupled to said support via adsorption, via chemical binding or via further proteins.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins are biotinylated and bound via Streptavidin or Streptavidin or Avidin variants.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins are T4 p12, T2 p12, K3 p12 or the short isolated bacteriophage tail proteins of the phage Felix 01, P1 or PB1 or derivatives or fragments thereof.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins comprise the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO:1 or 3.

19. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins exhibit modifications.

20. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said isolated bacteriophage tail proteins of one or more phage species detect at least two different bacterial species and/or genera.

21. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said support is a microtiter plate, a test strip, slide, wafer, filter material or a flow through cell chamber, and composed of polystyrene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polymethylmetaacrylate (PMMA), cellulose acetate, nitrocellulose, glass or silicium wafer.

22. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the detection of bacteria is used in medicine, food industry and analytics, animal breeding, drinking water analytics or environmental analytics.

23. A kit comprising a support with immobilized isolated bacteriophage tail proteins and assay reagents for the detection of bound bacteria.

24. The kit according to claim 23 , further comprising washing solutions and/or substances permeating or destroying the bacterial membrane.

25. An isolated polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3.