Searchable web-based resource for ATCC strains

ATCC has announced the launch of a searchable web-based resource for cross-referencing ATCC strains with a database of widely used and agreed upon test methods and laboratory procedural standards.

ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) has announced the launch of a searchable web-based resource for cross-referencing ATCC strains with a database of widely used and agreed upon test methods and laboratory procedural standards.

Part of the ATCC Standards Programme, the web-based resource is a searchable database of standard microbiology test methods and commercial assays that is linked to information on ATCC's collection of reference micro-organisms.

The search tool allows scientists and laboratory professionals to determine which ATCC-held bacteria, viruses, fungi or cell lines are specified in a particular standardised test method or procedure.

"This standards resource will be a tremendous help for communities of scientists in clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical development, quality control microbiology and a host of other fields in which micro-organisms are used for testing," said Joseph Perrone, ScD, Vice President for the Standards Programme at ATCC.

"Users can quickly and easily find information about high-quality ATCC reference materials that are used in a wide range of tests and protocols." ATCC cultures are commonly used as standard controls in areas as diverse as clinical laboratory testing, environmental monitoring and pharmaceutical development.

They are also used widely in microbiology testing for industrial-scale manufacturing of foods, beverages, textiles, paint, cosmetics and personal care products.

Professional organisations and government agencies draft procedural standards for microbiology assays and tests that often specify the use of particular ATCC strains.

For example, ATCC strains are cited in agreed upon standard protocols for testing the efficacy of an antibiotic or cleaning technique such as hand washing or steam sterilisation.

They are also used as controls when testing for the ability of a product, such as paint or preserved lumber, to resist microbial attack.

Other ATCC materials are cited in standard procedures for microbe identification.

Users of the ATCC Standards Resource can enter a specific protocol that has been established as a consensus standard.

The standards resource will return information about the ATCC reference materials necessary for carrying out that standard procedure.

Alternatively, researchers can search for a particular ATCC standard reference micro-organism and view all standards-related information associated with that material.

Standards resource users can search standard test methods by name or number of the organisation or company that developed it, or by the number of the test that calls for ATCC strains.

They can access product page descriptions for the cultures specified.

As the exclusive distribution partner for ATCC in Europe, the web-based standards resource can be accessed through the LGC Promochem's website.

Elizabeth Jordain, General Manager, LGC Promochem said: "The new web-based standards tool will be a fantastic resource for all our European customers.

As a leader in the field of reference materials and standards to support analysis and quality control testing, LGC Promochem is delighted to work with ATCC in bringing this innovative service to the European scientific community." For over eighty years, ATCC has played a key role in the area of standards.

ATCC uses meticulous characterisation and preservation methods that maintain reference materials in a manner that permits reproducibility of results across time and among laboratories around the world.

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