Automated Media Preparation Helps Veterinary Science Lab Cut Costs

INTEGRA Biosciences has announced that the installation of a MEDIAJET / MEDIACLAVE system has reduced downtime and costs in the media production department at Deltamune (Centurion, South Africa) by providing a highly productive alternative to the tedious and time consuming task of manual media preparation.

Deltamune is a world-class company that offers a totally integrated health service for the veterinary industry. Deltamune works with veterinarians in different animal production sectors to develop tailor-made specific solutions for their client's animal health requirements in the area of laboratory services and in the manufacture of specialised vaccines. This specialised range includes registered vaccines, as well as customised vaccines for specific disease problems. Deltamune provide a comprehensive health service that extends into diagnostics, health, hygiene and feed- and food safety monitoring. The test laboratory is ISO 17025 approved for certain techniques and methods.

To fulfil their large and growing need for bacterial growth media and reagent production, Deltamune elected to invest in a state-of-the-art automated media production unit to ensure that all quality standards for reliable results were met. With around 1600 media plates required on a daily basis, Deltamune selected the Integra Biosciences' MEDIAJET 540, an automatic petri dish filler that provides truly reliable, walk away operation using a proven mechanical dish guidance system, monitored by a set of sensors throughout the filling process. The unit was installed by Labotec, local suppliers for the Integra Biosciences range, who also installed Integra's MEDIACLAVE, a nutrient media steriliser, which guarantees the gentle and rapid preparation of both standard and highly sensitive nutrient media.

Dr Elize de Bruyn, Deltamune's Quality Assurance Manager commented "This investment has increased capacity and eliminated media wastage usually associated with non-conforming agar plate spreads and overheating. The MEDIAJET has a unique "Media Spread Function" capability that provides the most efficient use of media through ensuring homogenous distribution and an even surface. By optimising the agar level in each Petri dish, the new system enables up to 30% savings on media use compared to other systems. In this way, Deltamune are able to pass down these cost savings to their clients. This activity is just one of the combined efforts that Deltamune offers in their quest to be of valuable service to the South African poultry and other livestock industries".

The INTEGRA Biosciences MEDIACLAVE is a highly safe and economical system for sterile preparation of media from 1 to 9 litres. The MEDIACLAVE offers complete control and recording of all process parameters to guarantee a consistent GLP record that can be validated. Operated in conjunction with the MEDIAJET automated Petri dish filler - up to 540 standard sized agar plates can be conveniently and cost effectively prepared in less than 2.5 hours. The MEDIAJET and the MEDIACLAVE expand the capabilities of laboratories involved with the sterilisation of microbiological media and production of agar plates.