The problem
One number,
two unknowns
Optical density cannot tell more cells apart from bigger cells. It adds them together, along with the optics of your medium and any debris in the light path. Two runs can sit on the same OD600 curve with entirely different cultures underneath. That is why OD600 cannot compare one cultivation with the next.
Use cases
Built for upstream microbial process development
Bacterial cultivation and fermentation, batch and fed-batch, at development and pilot scale.
Media screening and process optimization
Compare process conditions based on real growth.
Transfer and harvest timing
See exactly when your culture reaches the right growth phase.
Growth dynamics
Resolve precise growth dynamics across process conditions with true kinetics data.
Knowledge Bridge
Insights from the field and the lab
Screen growth media
How direct cell counts reveal the medium that produces the most cells
Truthworthy growth kinetics for Mycoplasma
September 2025
Leading CDMO accelerates process development with BactoBox®
June 2025
Measuring bacterial cell size
Cell size carries the physiological state, and shows it early