Millipore has brought out the Milliprobe Detection System for Mycoplasma, which is suitable for use in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
The product, the result of a collaboration with Roka Bioscience, cuts detection time from between 28 and 35 days (for traditional culture-based technology) to just four hours.
Mycoplasma is a small, slow-growing and self-replicating bacteria that is difficult to detect and eliminate from biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
Mycoplasma contamination can result in biopharmaceutical manufacturers having to destroy an entire drug batch and shut down production facilities for an extended period.
Faster and more robust detection enables biopharmaceutical manufacturers to test more frequently and take corrective action earlier in the production process, reducing financial risks and optimising product yields.
Roland Heinrich, vice-president of process monitoring at Millipore, said: 'The Milliprobe system can be operated by technicians with limited molecular training, while meeting the stringent requirements of the biopharmaceutical quality-control lab.
'It includes a Millipore sample-preparation device designed to handle complex bioreactor samples in larger volumes than other mycoplasma testing products.
'It also includes Gen-Probe's new background-reduction technology, which protects the assay from contamination that can cause false-positive results - a prevalent testing problem representing substantial financial risk for customers,' Heinrich added.
