Non-culturable analyses are done by direct microscopic examination of air swabs, tapes or bulk material. This allows for complete characterization of the fungal spores, fruiting structures, hyphal elements and other fungal fragments in addition to pollen grains, elevated levels of bacteria, and identification of select non-biological materials. This total fungal characterization allows identification of fungi that may be both viable upon culture and those that would not be viable upon culture. The advantages of direct reads are that it can be performed quickly, it is useful as a general screening tool and as an assessment tool for post-verification.