Scientists at the Veterinary Laboratory Agency (VLA), UK, lead by Prof Martin Woodward, have launched an initiative to provide access to Biolog Phenotype Microarray (PM) technology.
The VLA Weybridge event, in association with Technopath, the UK/Ireland distributor for Biolog, was attended by 90 scientists and covered a range of applications of PM technology including human, veterinary and plant pathogens, mammalian host cell models, community analysis and yeast characterisation.
Presentations were given by scientists from the UK and Ireland on their latest results studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis and bovis as well as E.coli, salmonella typhimurium, cronobacter sakazakii, pseudomonas syringae, saccharomyces cerevisiae and pastorianus and microbiota of the gut and oral cavity.
Phenotype Microarray enables microbial cell phenotyping across nearly 2,000 kinetic phenotypic assays including: cellular nutritional pathways for C, N, P, and S metabolism (800 tests); pH growth range and regulation of pH control (100 tests); sensitivity to NaCl and various other ions (100 tests); and sensitivity to 240 inhibitors of biological pathways (1,000 tests).
It has resulted in an international community of users and over 100 publications.
Those interested in the technology can obtain further information from Technopath.
