Colony counter generates accurate OPKA results
Scientists in the immunobiology unit at the Institute of Child Health (ICH) are running clinical trials in which children are vaccinated with new types of pneumococcal vaccines
Synbiosis says its Protocol automated colony counter is being successfully used at prestigious UK research institute, the Institute of Child Health (ICH) to help rapidly assess the effectiveness of novel vaccines against bacterial pneumonia.
Blood samples from the children are subjected to an in vitro opsonophagocytic-killing assay (OPKA) and the surviving Streptococcus pneumoniae are plated onto Todd-Hewitt agar plates with yeast extract and an agar overlay containing antibiotics and a dye, 2, 3, 5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride.
The resulting red bacterial colonies are counted using a customised Protocol with a high resolution camera, to rapidly determine the effectiveness of each vaccine.
Lindsey Ashton, laboratory manager of the immunobiology unit at ICH explained: "The Protocol is recognised by the UK's National Institute of Biological Standards and the University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA (originator of the modified OPKA assay) as being an efficient tool for automating bacterial counts from this assay.
"So to maintain consistency, which is important in clinical trials, we installed a Protocol and have been using it daily for a year now.
"There are seven serotypes contained in Prevenar, currently the only licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
"For a single bleed to be tested for all seven serotypes this would equate to roughly 11,200 colonies.
"Each subject would have a series of bleeds throughout the trial.
"On a daily basis, we assess 20 plates of approximately 45,000 thousand colonies (one serotype only), which would take days to do manually.
"With Protocol, its performance is so impressive, the system can easily distinguish between close colonies to accurately count vast numbers in minutes, so we have our results the same day the colonies appear," added Ashton.
Martin Smith at Synbiosis stated: "With the increase in antibiotic resistance of many bacteria, the production of new vaccines against life threatening bacterial diseases is an area of critical importance where automated colony counting could help generate clinical data more rapidly.
"However, accurately enumerating colonies from an OPKA assay is a task very few automated systems can perform successfully, so we are delighted that well-respected research institutes such as the ICH have shown that our colony counter can rise to the challenge and could mean Protocol becomes the international gold standard for this application.".
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Tel +44 1223-727125
-
Protocol 2 system facilitates HD imaging
Synbiosis has launched the Protocol 2 system for rapid and accurate automated colony counting and zone measurement. -
Protocol system speeds vaccine manufacturing
Synbiosis has announced that its Protocol automatic zone measuring system has features designed to improve the speed of analysing SRD plates, ensuring flu vaccines can be manufactured more rapidly. -
Synbiosis offers Protocol system for vaccine tests
Synbiosis, a manufacturer of automated microbiological systems, has unveiled its Protocol automated colony counter for fast, accurate testing of pneumococcal vaccines. -
Colony counter excludes food debris
Synbiosis has added features to its Protocol automated colony counter, to exclude food debris from the count. -
Synbiosis installs 10th Protocol system
Synbiosis has announced that a top pharmaceutical company has chosen to install its 10th Protocol automated colony counting and zone sizing system.
Articles by product category
-
Analytical instruments (8,805)
- Analytical instruments (13)
- Chemical analysis equipment (631)
- Chromatographs: gas (241)
- Chromatographs: liquid, ion, gel, HPLC (427)
- Chromatography accessories (503)
- Gas analysis equipment (219)
- pH and conductivity meters (114)
- Cameras and imaging systems (820)
- Electron microscopy systems (209)
- Optical microscopes (448)
- Microscope supplies and accessories (558)
- Mass spectrometers (458)
- Spectroscopy (535)
- Other analytical instruments (592)
- Particle size analysis equipment (555)
- Microplate readers (39)
- Temperature, pressure and flow measurement (262)
- Spectrophotometers (273)
- Titration equipment (655)
- Ultrasound equipment and ultrasonic spectroscopy (118)
- Viscometers and rheometers (346)
- Oscilloscopes (83)
- Mechanical testing equipment (492)
- Test and calibration instrumentation (214)
-
Life sciences and clinical laboratory equipment (3,579)
- Life sciences and clinical laboratory equipment (3)
- Clinical chemistry analysis (898)
- Nucleic acid sequencing and synthesis (637)
- Genomics (459)
- Proteomics (450)
- Assay kits (185)
- Microbiology (383)
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (240)
- Cell/tissue handling and counting (324)
-
Computer hardware (826)
- Computer hardware (7)
- Dataloggers (302)
- I/O devices (362)
- Monitors and peripherals (50)
- Process control and networking (79)
- PLCs (26)
-
Industry news (19)
- Industry news (19)
-
Laboratory equipment and wares (5,937)
- Laboratory equipment and wares (5)
- Safety and ventilation equipment (322)
- General lab equipment (831)
- Workstations (61)
- Detectors, sensors and probes (375)
- Lab automation equipment and robotics (651)
- Laboratory furniture and storage (151)
- Gas handling (125)
- Heating: ovens, furnaces, autoclaves (331)
- Fermentation and incubation equipment (73)
- Microplates/microarrays and readers (397)
- Microfluidics/Lab-on-a-chip systems (142)
- Distillation equipment (16)
- Sampling equipment (156)
- Environmental chambers (88)
- Fume cupboards ductless (79)
- Laboratory glassware (400)
- Liquid handling (415)
- Cooling: refrigeration (198)
- Washing and sterilisation equipment (207)
- Fume cupboards ducted (31)
- HTS and combinatorial chemistry equipment (57)
- Evaporation equipment (166)
- Weighing and balancing (240)
- Centrifuges (47)
- Water purification (213)
- Laboratory plasticware (160)
-
Laboratory supplies and consumables (1,271)
- Laboratory supplies and consumables (2)
- Culture media (119)
- Reagents and catalysts (169)
- Antibodies (203)
- Cleaning products (65)
- Reference standards (178)
- Chemicals and biochemicals (534)
-
Pumps, Valves, Filters (708)
- Automated Valves (66)
- Filtration equipment and supplies (176)
- Metering pumps (109)
- Other pumps (63)
- Peristaltic pumps (65)
- Vacuum pumps and compressors (144)
- Manual Valves (85)
-
Services (2,989)
- Contract research (889)
- Laboratory and scientific exhibitions and conferences (230)
- Laboratory and scientific recruitment (26)
- Laboratory and scientific consultancy services (288)
- Laboratory and scientific training and education (413)
- Laboratory building and design (50)
- Laboratory and scientific manufacturing services (136)
- Laboratory and scientific professional organisations (482)
- Laboratory and scientific books and publishing (475)
-
Computer software (2,882)
- Computer software (4)
- Chemical modelling software (181)
- Laboratory and scientific databases (327)
- Instrument control software (320)
- Laboratory information management system (LIMS) (721)
- Mathematical software (163)
- Process control and networking software (52)
- Data acquisition software (171)
- Chromatography software (284)
- Spectroscopy software (92)
- Analytical, statistical and report generating software (284)
- Data management software (283)
