Microbiological services
At Conestoga's Bio Hub, innovation and advanced technology converge. Our facilities are equipped to support comprehensive microbial investigations, providing state-of-the-art instrumentation for microbial characterization, susceptibility testing, microbial cultivation, and pathogenicity testing.
Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) certified lab spaces
Conestoga's Bio Hub hosts BSL2 certified lab spaces for culturing, manipulation, and investigation of pathogenic microbes. We maintain an extensive inventory of cell lines, including plant, animal, insect, and pathogenic microbes.
Equipment and instrumentation
Our labs contain all that is required for your microbial investigations. For microbial biotyping and susceptibility testing, we offer:
- IR Biotyper for microbial biotyping
- MALDI-ToF MS for advanced identification and characterization
- Phoenix M50 for antibiotic susceptibility testing
- Class II biological safety cabinets
- Anaerobic incubator
Research applications
Our suite of microbiological capabilities is ideal for a wide range of applications:
- Microbial cultivation: production of enzymes, antibiotics, vaccines, bioremediation, agricultural pest control, and fermentation.
- Microbial biotyping: advanced identification and characterization of bacteria, fungi (including yeasts and molds), and viruses.
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing: determining the resistance or sensitivity of microbes to various antibiotics.
- Pathogenicity testing: Identifying specific pathogens causing diseases in plants, animals, or humans to investigate infection mechanisms, diseas management, agricultural breeding programs, and regulatory compliance.
Instrumentation highlights
MALDI-TOF/MS biotyper
MALDI-TOF mass spectrophotometer is a diagnostic tool of microbial identification and characterization based on the detection of the mass and abundance of different proteins. The MALDI-TOF uses energy to break microbial cells down, releasing their molecules and converting them into ions. The ions are then measured by determining the time required for them to travel the length of the flight tube.
Phoenix M50
The Pheonix M50 can identify and determine antibiotic susceptibility of microorganisms. Using panels containing either identification reagents or a variety of antibiotics at different concentrations, the instrument detects growth via turbidity and oxidation/reduction reactions.
Direct heat CO2 incubator
This high-capacity incubator is designed to create the ideal environment for growing cell cultures by controlling temperature and CO2 levels. It typically maintains a temperature of 37°C and CO2 levels between 5-10 per cent, conditions that mimic the human body, which is crucial for cell growth. CO2 incubators are used in various applications, including cell culture, in-vitro fertilization, and pharmaceutical research.