Microbes and contaminants
Microbes, including bacteria, have been estimated to make up about 15 percent of the earth’s biomass, and microbes in the human body outnumber human cells by 10 to 1. These microorganisms provide great benefit to us and are also vital to many fields of research, from medicine to alternative energy production. On the other hand, monitoring for microbes and the toxic substances they produce is necessary to ensure the safety of pharmaceutical products.
Microbial growth and contamination
Microbial growth refers to the increase in the population size of a microbial colony. As unicellular organisms, microbes can grow to a specific size range, beyond which they cannot maintain their cell integrity. The ultimate way to ensure continuity within the confined cellular dimension is to divide into identical cells. Each of the daughter cells then undergoes another cycle to divide, leading to exponential microbial growth over time.
Accidental or unintentional microbial growth in experimental setups leads to microbiological contamination. If you work with mammalian cell cultures, microbial contamination can be a recipe for disaster. The increase in microbial population induces changes in pH and produces toxins that can damage the cell culture. Scientists whose research relies on mammalian cells must carefully monitor these cultures for unwanted microbial contaminants to ensure that their experimental results are reliable.
Microbial detection and analysis
Microplate readers provide convenient ways to measure bacterial growth and protein expression and detect microbial contamination in mammalian cell cultures. Our application notes demonstrate several methods for microbial detection and analysis.
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Endotoxin assays
Monitoring for contaminants is a critical step during the production process in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. A frequent contaminant, endotoxin, can cause fever, inflammation, headache, nausea, and even death. Fortunately, endotoxins can be readily monitored using turbidimetric, colorimetric, or fluorometric assays.
These application notes describe the different types of endotoxin assays:
Endotoxin assays
Monitoring for contaminants is a critical step during the production process in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. A frequent contaminant, endotoxin, can cause fever, inflammation, headache, nausea, and even death. Fortunately, endotoxins can be readily monitored using turbidimetric, colorimetric, or fluorometric assays.
These application notes describe the different types of endotoxin assays:
Enzyme kinetics, bacterial / microbial growth
Many biological experiments require monitoring bacterial growth or measuring enzymatic changes over long periods of time (hours, days or even weeks).
Here are a few featured application notes illustrating how to set up kinetic assays to measure bacterial growth using our instruments and software:
Enzyme kinetics, bacterial / microbial growth
Many biological experiments require monitoring bacterial growth or measuring enzymatic changes over long periods of time (hours, days or even weeks).
Here are a few featured application notes illustrating how to set up kinetic assays to measure bacterial growth using our instruments and software:
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Mycoplasma detection
Mycoplasma, the smallest and simplest of the prokaryotes, are common contaminants of cell cultures. Symptoms of mycoplasma contamination include a reduction in the rate of proliferation and changes in cellular responses, including gene expression. Routine testing for mycoplasma can identify contaminated cell cultures before valuable time and work are lost.
Learn how the MycoAlert Assay and MycoAlert PLUS Assay from Lonza provide a rapid and convenient way to detect viable mycoplasma in cell cultures using a luminescence microplate reader
Mycoplasma detection
Mycoplasma, the smallest and simplest of the prokaryotes, are common contaminants of cell cultures. Symptoms of mycoplasma contamination include a reduction in the rate of proliferation and changes in cellular responses, including gene expression. Routine testing for mycoplasma can identify contaminated cell cultures before valuable time and work are lost.
Learn how the MycoAlert Assay and MycoAlert PLUS Assay from Lonza provide a rapid and convenient way to detect viable mycoplasma in cell cultures using a luminescence microplate reader
Resources of Microbiology and Contaminant Monitoring
Brochure
Molecular Cloning
Molecular Cloning
Our solutions for antibody discovery and cell line development provide dedicated, scalable, and easy-to-use products for establishing clonal populations. The systems feature a selection of o…
Application Note
Spectral Fusion™ Illumination technology for an extended dynamic range on the SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
Spectral Fusion™ Illumination technology for an extended dynamic range on the SpectraMax i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader
Many microplate readers and spectrophotometers use a photomultiplier tube (PMT) to detect fluorescence and luminescence signals. PMTs work by initially detecting photons from the sample…
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Application Note
Automation of the CRISPR-based cell line development workflow
Automation of the CRISPR-based cell line development workflow
An increase in demands for faster high-throughput cell-line development and better screening in the pharmaceutical space is driving research facilities and companies to automate existing…
Blog
COVID-19 Timeline: Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Therapeutic Antibody Development
COVID-19 Timeline: Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Therapeutic Antibody Development
Global research efforts are focused on understanding the SARS-CoV-2 virus in order to develop potential therapies for COVID-19. Join us as we explore a scientific timeline of key…
eBook
The Ultimate Guide to Microplate Reader Solutions
The Ultimate Guide to Microplate Reader Solutions
Evaluating microplate readers doesn’t have to be overwhelming. First, consider your application needs. If your budget is modest, a single-mode reader dedicated to your main application may b…
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Application Note
Monitor for endotoxin with the SpectraMax ABS Plus Microplate Reader
Monitor for endotoxin with the SpectraMax ABS Plus Microplate Reader
Monitoring for contaminants is a critical step during the production process in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
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Application Note
Detect endotoxin with the PyroGene Recombinant Factor C Assay
Detect endotoxin with the PyroGene Recombinant Factor C Assay
Monitoring samples for contaminants is a critical step during the production process in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
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Application Note
Advanced kinetic analysis of a bacterial growth assay
Advanced kinetic analysis of a bacterial growth assay
Difficult-to-kill bacteria have become a problem in hospital-acquired infections. Identifying compounds which kill these bacteria is of interest to many pharmaceutical companies. Developing…
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Application Note
Measure long-term cell growth using a discontinuous kinetic reading
Measure long-term cell growth using a discontinuous kinetic reading
Many biological experiments require monitoring cell growth or measuring enzymatic changes over long periods of time (hours, days or even weeks). In addition, certain model organisms cannot…
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Application Note
MycoAlert Mycoplasma Detection Assays on Molecular Devices Microplate Readers
MycoAlert Mycoplasma Detection Assays on Molecular Devices Microplate Readers
Mycoplasma, the smallest and simplest of the prokaryotes, are common contaminants of cell cultures. Symptoms of mycoplasma contamination include a reduction in the rate of proliferation and…
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Application Note
Microplate-based endotoxin testing in GLP/GMP environments using a colorimetric assay
Microplate-based endotoxin testing in GLP/GMP environments using a colorimetric assay
Monitoring for contaminants is a critical step during the production process in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. A frequent contaminant, endotoxin, can cause fever,…
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Application Note
Multitask kinetic measurements of IPTG’s effects on protein expression and cell growth
Multitask kinetic measurements of IPTG’s effects on protein expression and cell growth
Measuring several different signal outputs simultaneously over time is especially useful for studying a protein or compound’s effect on cellular growth or gene expression. In this…
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