BactoBox®

Faster than Microscopy

BactoBox® offers a significant speed advantage over fluorescence microscopy while also providing greater user autonomy, streamlining the analysis process.

Easier than Flow Cytometry

BactoBox® allows users to become proficient in under 60 minutes and removes the need for manual gating after each experiment, unlike fluorescence flow cytometry.

Works for All Bacteria

BactoBox® is effective for nearly all bacterial species, including those that are difficult to stain, providing a versatile solution for diverse applications.

Running a Bacterial Production Facility or Using Bacteria as a Cell Factory?

BactoBox® is an indispensable tool for companies that are producing bacteria as a product (e.g. starter cultures, live biotherapeutics, probiotics, bacterial vaccines, etc.) and for companies that are using bacteria as a cell factory for production of e.g. enzymes, biosurfactants, amino acids, and human milk oligosaccharides.

BactoBox® will provide you with rapid results on the bacterial count throughout your entire process. Use the information to decide when to transfer from a seed stage, when to harvest your product, and the unique live/dead insights to optimize yield in your individual processes.

BactoBox® vs. Fluorescence Flow Cytometry

Together with Probiotical S.p.A. and Advanced Analytical Technologies Srl, we investigated the comparability of fluorescence flow cytometry (FFC) and BactoBox when measuring viable bacterial concentrations. Our study revealed a close match between these methods, with minor variability due to different labs and operators. BactoBox's operator-independent design ensures reliable results. Plate count data and the colony forming unit results align with fluorescence flow cytometry and BactoBox for most samples, but emphasizes the need for advanced flow cytometry-based techniques to complement traditional methods and their shortcomings. Access the full application note here.

Viable bacterial concentrations are in excellent agreement when measured with FFC and BactoBox. The height of the grey bars represents average active fluorescent units (AFU) for fluorescence flow cytometry. The white bars represent plate counts (CFUs), and the violet bars represent BactoBox intact cell concentrations (ICC). Individual data points are shown with crosses. Error bars represent standard deviation.

BactoBox® vs. Colony Forming Units (CFUs)

A comparative analysis has been made using five distinct bacterial species, demonstrating a strong correlation between BactoBox's intact cell concentrations (ICC) and CFUs for actively growing cultures. Despite variations in morphology and cell wall composition among the studied bacteria, BactoBox results paralleled those of the plate count method.

You can find the full application note here.

BactoBox® vs. OD600

OD600 has long been the method of choice for rapid estimation of bacterial growth and counts, with its ease of use and low cost being key advantages. However, it does come with trade-offs in terms of data quality. As a bulk method, OD600 doesn't provide single-cell level detail; its readings broadly reflect the entire matrix. Furthermore, the size of the bacterial cells significantly impacts the OD600 reading, skewing the correlation between optical density and actual bacterial cell counts.

BactoBox® provides an intact cell concentration (ICC) correlating consistently with the cell count in the sample, regardless of cell size, offering a significant improvement over OD600. For more detailed comparison and insights, explore our OD600 vs BactoBox application note found here.

Enumerate Bacteria with BactoBox®

Please submit your contact and application details using the form below. A specialist from our team will contact you within one business day to discuss the technical compatibility of BactoBox® with your needs and outline potential trial opportunities. Alternatively, reach out directly to our CEO, Gustav.

Gustav Skands

CEO & Co-founder
[email protected]
+45 2076 5773

Explore Trial Opportunities