Biolog Phenotype Microarray For Microbial Cells

Have a look at Biolog's Phenotype MicroArray Plate Maps:

Metabolic tests for bacteria and fungi

Chemical sensitivity tests for bacteria

Chemical sensitivity tests for fungi

HOW PHENOTYPE MICROARRAY TECHNOLOGY WORKS

DNA Microarrays and Proteomic Technologies allow scientists to detect genes or proteins that are coregulated and whose patterns of change correlate with something important such as a disease state. However there is no assurance that these changes are really significant to the cell. Phenotype MicroArrays are a complementary technology providing the needed information at the cellular level.

Phenotype MicroArrays are preconfigured sets of phenotypic tests deployed on microplate panels. Each well of the array is designed to test a different phenotype after inoculation with a standardized cell suspension, allowing simultaneous testing of thousands of phenotypes in a single experiment.

Phenotype MicroArrays use Biolog’s patented redox technology, with cell respiration (NADH production) as a universal reporter. If the phenotype is strongly “positive” in a well, the cells respire actively, reducing a tetrazolium dye and forming a strong color. If it is weakly positive or negative, respiration is slowed or stopped, and less color or no color is formed.

The redox assay provides for both amplification and precise quantitation of phenotypes. Incubation and recording of phenotypic data is performed automatically by the OmniLog instrument.

To compare the phenotypes of two cell lines, one is recorded as a red tracing and one as a green tracing. These graphs can then be overlaid by the bioinformatic software to detect differences. Areas of overlap are colored yellow, whereas differences are highlighted as patches of red or green.

KINETIC DATA CAPTURE AND ANALYSIS

OmniLog PM software contains a suite of algorithms that work in conjunction with the OmniLog PM system and Phenotype MicroArray panels to automate incubation of up to fifty microplates at a fixed user-controlled temperature with complete collection of colorimetric assay data over time. These programs allow for display of kinetic data from PM panels recorded by the OmniLog PM system, manage and analyze the data, export it in a variety of raw and processed forms, and generate reports.

KINETIC DATA CAPTURE AND ANALYSIS

Software Functions

Drives the operation of the OmniLog PM system

Guides loading and reading of plates or PM panels

Creates a kinetic data file for each plate or PM panel for use in the other program modules

File Management/Kinetic Analysis

Assembles plate or PM panel data files into data lists

Displays kinetic plots of the data

Allows export of kinetic plots as bmp or jpeg files

Parametric Analysis

Extracts data lists from the File Management /Kinetic Analysis module

Calculates parameters from kinetic data

Allows comparison of two data lists

Highlights wells and generates a report on PM phenotypes that differ significantly in any selected kinetic analysis parameter