The basic attributes of the becSCREEN Assay are:
Growth Device for Microbial Biofilms
Most bacteria and many fungi have been grown as microbial biofilms using the becSCREEN Assay. Innovotech scientists have used a variety of woods, plastics, paints and even hydroxyapatite (chemically similar to tooth enamel) in place of the standard 96 polystyrene pins on the lid of the assay, to mimic the natural environment of biofilms, to encourage growth. Similarly, experimental media sometimes require modification to resemble the natural setting of the bacterial biofilm organism. Innovotech scientists have grown biofilms in artificial urine, plasma, serum and many other media that reflect that natural environment of the organism.
- Characterization of biofilm growth and biocide susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium phlei using the becSCREEN assay system
- Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) versus mimimum biofilm eliminating concentration (MBEC) in evaluation of antibiotic sensitivity of gram-negative bacilli causing peritonitis
Experimental Flexibility
This new version version of the becSCREEN Assay (referred to as HTP Assay™, for high throughput screening) has flexibility to grow 96 identical biofilms of a single organism using a trough bottom to contain the inoculum of a single type (single organism or mixed biofilm). This application is best suited to situations where multiple biocides or drugs are being tested against a single or mixed colony biofilms.
- Differences in biofilm and planktonic cell mediated reduction of metalloid oxyanions
Alternatively, in situations where several different mircobial and bacterial biofilms are being tested against single or multiple biocides, a second version of the becSCREEN Assay, (referred to as the P&G Assay™, for physiology and genetics), with a 96-well microtitre plate bottom allows any variety of microbial cultures to be inoculated into each well of the 96-well plate. This application is therefore suited to situations where single or multiple biocides are being tested against many different biofilms or where research is being conducted on a number of organisms.
- Biofilm bacteria: formation and comparative susceptibility to antibiotics
- Biofilm susceptibility to metal toxicity
- Metal resistance in Candida biofilms
Breadth of Results
The Assay produces both MBEC (minimum biofilm eradication concentration) values and MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values for the agents being tested. MBEC results are derived from the biofilm growing on the 96-peg lid while MIC results are derived from the organisms suspended in the wells of the microtitre plate as they are in a planktonic state. MIC values derived using the becSCREEN Assay have been validated against CLSI standards.
Reproducibility of Growth
The company has published and unpublished reports on the consistency of growth parameters using the becSCREEN Assay. This reproducibility covers a variety of organisms, pin materials and growth media.
Consistency of Controls
Positive and negative control wells are integrated into the experimental design for each plate.
High Throughput Screening
As the becSCREEN Assay can test up to 96 different compounds at one time, the speed of screening is dramatically increased compared to any other technologies.
Flexibility of Endpoints
Endpoints of experimentation are up to the discretion of the researcher including turbidity measurement, plating and counting, metabolic dyes, etc.
- Persister cells, the biofilm matrix and tolerance to metal cations in biofilm and planktonic Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Quorum-Sensing Mutations Affect Attachment and Stability of Burkholderia cenocepacia Biofilms
- The GacS sensor kinase controls phenotypic reversion of small colony variants isolated from biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14
- Use of the MBEC technology to study the role of biofilms on microbial pathogenesis and determine the anti-biofilm activity of biocides used on plants and agriculture
- Effects of the twin-arginine translocase on the structure and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli biofilms
