Cultex Laboratories is using Synbiosis' Protocol automated colony counter in its Ames Test methodology to determine the mutagenic effects of airborne toxins.
This Protocol system features a specially adapted 50mm plate holder.
It is being used to accurately count the number of mutant Salmonella or E.
coli colonies that can grow on nutrient agar and histidine after these tester strains have been exposed to toxic gases such as cigarette smoke or diesel exhaust fumes.
This allows microbiologists at Cultex to generate standardised data on the genotoxicity of these gaseous compounds by eliminating potential processing errors, which can occur when having to manually count colonies and then type in figures.
Prof Michaela Aufderheide, manager at Cultex Laboratories, said: 'The mutagenicity of the gaseous substances we are testing is proportional to the number of colonies we observe in our Ames Test.
'Therefore, we need to count the colonies precisely to provide the best advice on how hazardous these compounds really are.
'Since we have to assess thousands of colonies each week it would be impossible for one scientist to do all the assessments we require for a standardised result.' Prof Aufderheide added: 'To achieve this level of reproducibility, we have used a Protocol system since 2007.
'As the system automates enumeration and data input, we can obtain accurate counts time after time and can confidently supply our clients with sound predictions about substance genotoxicity.'
