Conventional cultivation-based microbiological methods are time consuming and can take from 2 to 15 days to get results. Although rapid methods such as PCR are much faster, they usually require expensive instrumentation and equipment. Not so the HybriScan^® molecular assays.

Our HybriScan® system provides fast and accurate qualitative or quantitative results for a wide spectrum of spoilage organisms and pathogens. It detects attomoles of microbe-specific rRNA using sandwich hybridization. A labelled capture probe is used to immobilize the target sequence on a solid support plate. The digoxigenin-labeled detection probe then provides an enzyme-linked optical signal read-out. Detection of the target results from applying anti-DIG-horseradish peroxidase Fab fragments. The bound complex is visualized by adding horseradish peroxidase substrate. This results is a yellow color that can also be measured at 450 nm using a microplate reader.

Results are available after only about 2 hours of testing. Pre-enrichment can improve sensitivity down to 1 CFU/L. Using the two different specific probes for detection of microbial rRNA minimizes the likelihood of a false positive result.

The main features of HybriScan^® molecular screening system:

• Quantitative or qualitative results by organism group or specific species (HybriScan^®D kits for quantitative, HybriScan^®I kits for qualitative testing)
• Detects living cells only
• Also detects non-culturable microbes
• High specificity
• Not sensitive to sample matrix
• Cost-efficient read-out using a standard plate reader (or visually for qualitative results)
• Results in about 2 hours
• High sample throughput

The microorganisms to test water for include:

• Escherichia coli
• Legionella (in wastewater)
  Total Bacterial Count
  Wastewater Total Bacterial Count
• Legionella pneumophila
• Microthrix parvicella

Due to its insensitivity to sample matrices, the HybriScan^® system can also be used to test a wide range of beverages for contaminants, including:

• Typical beer-spoiling organisms
• Various yeasts
• Various lactobacilli
• Alicyclobacillus and Pectinatus frisingensis
  Megasphaera cerevisiae
  Pediococcus damnosus
• Brettanomyces
• Leuconostoc
• Pectinatus cerevisiiphilus

Visit Merck/Millipore Sigma for more or use the Request Information button below to connect directly with the supplier.