The present invention pertains to the need for novel, reliable, fast and inexpensive approaches to diagnosing, including detecting and characterising microbial infections in humans and animals or methods for detecting and characterising microbial infections in various environments, such as in a food or feed sample. The present invention provides compositions, platforms, kits and methods for diagnosing, detecting and/or characterising a microbial infection or contamination. In particular the present invention relates to such compositions, platforms, kits and methods for diagnosing, detecting and/or characterising a urinary tract infection.