Problems and new approaches in the use of serology for seed-borne bacteria

(...) A disadvantage of the commonly used serological techniques in seed testing, e.g. immunofluorescence microscopy (IF) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), is the lack of distinction between viable and dormant or dead cells. This often results in a «grey» area of discrepancy between results of serological and traditional isolation assays. New techniques such as immunofluorescence colony staining, direct double diffusion in dilution plates, immunosorbent immunofluorescence and immuno-isolation combine isolation and serological techniques and have the potential to overcome this «grey» area