Microbiology

Gram process

The advent of a lens system, in 1671, enabled the visualization of bacteria and protists in scientific study. The microscope remains a ubiquitous tool for the study of live and fixed microorganisms. Investigating the structure, function, and typing of the highly diverse array of microorganisms spans heterogeneous applications. These applications include, but are not limited to, the elucidation, diagnosis, and treatment of human and plant disease, food and water safety testing, and vaccine development. Also investigation and production of industrial lipases, protein transfection to mammalian cells, environmental health and impact appraisal, horticultural and agricultural soil assessment, and exploration of alternative fuel sources.

This varied application base requires imaging instruments compatible with many objective magnifications, dry and oil resolving power, multiple imaging channels, and advanced image analysis capabilities. These features are demonstrated on Agilent BioTek imagers using a number of microbial models. In addition to automated microscopy features, Agilent BioTek cell imaging multimode readers increase selection from a broader range of assays available to the field of microbiology. These assays require absorbance, fluorescence, luminescence, fluorescence polarization, time resolved fluorescence, and Alpha detection capabilities. Other options, such as microfluidic perfusion control, are available with some Agilent BioTek Cytation and Agilent BioTek Lionheart configurations. The options provide even more versatility to increase choice, throughput, and design efficacy in microbiology assay workflows.

The Agilent BioTek LogPhase 600 microbiology reader is purpose-built for running microbial growth assays in up to 4 plates at a time. This capability delivers higher throughput than any other microplate reader currently available. It has the robust shaking and temperature control required for consistent growth, which leads to consistent data.