Speed Up Microbial Process Development with BactoBox

Fast-track microbial process development with precise bacterial counts. BactoBox delivers high-quality data, enabling you to model your process accurately.

Faster, More Reliable Microbial Process Development

Extract accurate growth metrics such as lag phase, specific growth rate, and maximum concentration to better understand your fermentation.
Standardize inoculum concentration and health to ensure consistent and reproducible growth.
Optimize with a model-based approach instead of relying on trial-and-error experiments.
Increase yield and reduce process variability by making data-driven decisions.

Use the interactive plot below to explore how BactoBox, OD600, and plate counting (CFUs) compare in measuring bacterial growth. To enable direct comparison, the OD600 values have been converted to estimated cell concentrations using the supplier-recommended factor of 1 OD600 = 5 × 10⁸ cells/mL for E. coli.

Bacterial Growth Curve

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Learn About a BactoBox Customer

Biose Industrie, a leading CDMO specializing in live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), relies on BactoBox for process development and production. Conducting thousands of measurements annually, they ensure high-quality bacterial cultivation with greater consistency and precision, optimizing biotherapeutic outcomes.

By integrating BactoBox into their manufacturing, Biose is setting a new industrial standard for microbial enumeration. Rapid viable cell counts in process and release testing help accelerate the path from clinical trials to market authorization for their innovative live biotherapeutics. Read more about SBT and Biose's collaboration here.

Using BactoBox for Microbial Process Development - FAQ

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions when using BactoBox to accelerate microbial process development.

What makes BactoBox an improvement over OD600?

OD600 is a common method for tracking growth in microbial process development, but it cannot reliably estimate growth rates or lag phases due to the influence of cell morphology and media composition on the measurements. Direct cell counting techniques like BactoBox or CFUs provide accurate data for extracting precise growth kinetics. If you want to optimize fermentation with a model-based approach rather than trial and error, a direct cell counting method is essential.

Can BactoBox perform online or at-line sampling?

No, BactoBox does not support online or at-line sampling. It is best used at key decision points when other process metrics, such as pH, DO, OD600, or off-gas, indicate a change, ensuring accurate bacterial enumeration when needed.

Can I use BactoBox in media that contain non-celluar particles?

Yes, but a one-time gating customization is required to ensure non-cellular particles do not affect bacterial counts. This customization is specific to your bacterial genera and allows accurate enumeration in complex media.

Can BactoBox count both live and dead cells?

With customization, BactoBox can detect the onset of cell death. It shows a trend correlation to plate counting, but results will not match one-to-one since CFUs cannot detect viable-but-non-culturable cells, and some dead cells may still have an intact membrane. BactoBox is a useful tool for monitoring when cell death begins in your process.