Specific cultivation-independent enumeration of viable cells in probiotic products using a combination of fluorescence hybridization and flow cytometry.

This study introduces an optimized integration of flow cytometry and fluorescence hybridization (Flow-FISH) as an approach for the specific enumeration of gram-positive bacteria in probiotic products, overcoming the limitations of conventional methods. The enhanced Flow-FISH technique synergizes the rapid and automated capabilities of flow cytometry with the high specificity of FISH, facilitating the differentiation of viable cells at the species level within probiotic blends. By analyzing lyophilized samples of , , and subsp.