Monitoring of bacterial growth is a fundamental technique in microbiology. The most widely used method for enumerating bacteria is plate-based counting, which requires serial dilutions of the bacterial stock culture and manual counting of colonies after plating. The procedure is very time consuming and cost intensive, as plates must be prepared, inoculated and counted manually. Running the assay in a microplate format and using a plate reader to measure bacterial growth greatly reduces consumables and waste. Automating sample preparation with an automated liquid handler helps to further reduce hands-on time and improve precision.
In this application note, we present the adaptation of a microplate-based assay on the VICTOR® Nivo™ multimode plate reader for automated detection of bacterial growth assay, using the readout for optical density (OD)/turbidity. The integrated temperature control and shaking function of VICTOR Nivo allows the realization of controlled assay conditions, helping to prevent common issues such as condensation under the plate lid, and allowing continuous detection of changes in turbidity over time. Download our application note to learn more.