Maximizing Lab Efficiency: Essential Microbiology Lab Consumables

Get micro-organized with essential consumables from Lasec^®

We all know that sometimes effectively managing your laboratory supplies can be quite challenging. Laboratory managers spend lots of time evaluating stock levels, expiry dates, pack sizes, pricing, quality, lead times, and suitability before making purchasing decisions. All this is done to streamline processes while reducing costs.

At Lasec^®, we recognize the importance of efficiently managing the inventory of commonly used consumables within a microbiology lab.

While this short article may not address all the specific challenges encountered in your lab, we hope to provide some insights on maximizing purchasing plans for three main categories of essential consumables, namely growth media, Petrifilm™, and consumable labware.

ESSENTIAL CONSUMABLES FOR MICROBIOLOGY:

Neogen Culture Media

Neogen Culture Media (NCM) are ISO and UKAS certified producers of high-quality dehydrated culture media and supplements. NCM currently produces over 315 dehydrated culture media products, which include pre-enrichments, selective, differential, and chromogenic media.

Culture media products are available in standard and bulk packs to suit your lab’s unique demands. Take the opportunity to get a little “more bang for your buck” by purchasing the bigger pack sizes, i.e., 5kg, 10kg, and 25kg.

NCM also produces "convenient formats," which include pre-poured media plates, EZ Prep pouched media, and µPREP bagged media. These pre-measured and pre-sterilized formats will prove to be very handy when the media preparation steps are delaying turn-around time for tests that need to be completed and reported on quickly.

As an authorized distributor of Neogen Culture Media, Lasec^® supplies our products into various market segments, which include the food and beverage, water, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as the clinical market. Due to NCM having dual manufacturing sites in the UK and USA, we offer faster lead times for commonly used media. For specialized media types, talk to us about a standing order to ensure efficient and cost-effective supply.

3M™ Petrifilm™

Lasec^®, a distributor of 3M™Food Safety products, is the proud supplier of Petrifilm™, a simple and trusted method for culturing and enumerating microorganisms. This technology was initially introduced in the mid-’80s and has revolutionized the way food safety professionals test for indicator organisms. Designed and manufactured according to ISO 9001, Petrifilm™ has earned international recognition with certifications from both AFNOR and AOAC.

Try Petrifilm™ as a solution in your microlab.

The great thing about Petrifilm™ plates is the fact that they are ready to use. No weighing, mixing, or autoclaving is required; simply inoculate, incubate, and interpret your results. Up to 20 of these plates can be stacked in the incubator, saving space and electricity. An unopened box has an impressive shelf life of 18 months, while the internal packs can be used for up to 30 days after being opened.

We offer a variety of plates with formulations for aerobic counts, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, E. coli, yeast/mould, S. aureus, environmental Listeria, and lactic acid bacteria. These can be used for several purposes, which include food products, ingredients, and environmental testing. Petrifilm™ also has the added bonus of being able to double as a contact and even as an air sampling plate. Talk about an overachiever!

Plasticware and Glassware

The below table briefly describes some of the microbiology labware essentials recommended and supplied by Lasec^®:

Consumable	Our offer
Petri dishes	Petri dishes are a staple for every microbiology lab preparing their own culture media. Our buying power and access to various suppliers allow Lasec^® to find the right price/quality ratio to meet specific lab requirements.
Inoculation loops and spreaders	For a winning streak, we supply both metal and calibrated plastic inoculation loops for reusable and disposable purposes. Our plastic spreaders with an L-shaped design ensure a smooth and evenly spread plate every time.
Syringe filters	For fast, low-volume sterilization, use 0.2μm syringe filters with either cellulose acetate or polyethersulfone membranes to effectively remove bacterial cells from the solution. With high flow rates and low protein binding, these syringe filters are suitable for sterile filtration of all culture media applications.
Weighing boats	If your current cracked weighing boat is causing you frustration during media preparation, consider our disposable weighing boats made from polypropylene that can withstand temperatures up to 70°C. The range consists of square-shaped 7ml or 100ml, and diamond-shaped, 5ml, 30ml, or 100ml weighing boats.
Graduated beakers and cylinders	“You won't know what you have until it's measured” - Our Italian-made standard clear, polypropylene (PP) beakers and cylinders with blue graduated markings are perfect for measuring out the volumes required for media preparation and sample dilution. For more durable plastic, better suited to repeated autoclaving, ask about our clear, polymethylpentene (PMP) beakers with red graduated markings. If you are looking for volumetric glassware, we stock a variety of Erlenmeyer flasks, filtration funnels, and measuring cylinders from our glass experts at Glassco.
Media and reagent bottles	Say goodbye to expansion cracks with Simax media bottles from Lasec^®, made of borosilicate glass 3.3, offering excellent chemical resistance and thermal stability. The blue GL 45 screw cap and pouring ring are heat resistant up to 140°C. These are available as both clear and amber glass in a range of sizes.
Biohazard bags	Safely dispose of your biological waste with our steam autoclavable waste disposal bags available in red and clear, with “Biohazard” clearly indicated on the front. These bags can withstand temperatures up to 121°C.
Autoclave tape	"Has that been autoclaved yet?" Confidently answer the age-old question that haunts many microbiologists around the world with our lead-free steam sterilization indicator tape that is available in various sizes and colors.

The products in the above three categories do not constitute an exhaustive list of the consumable microbiology products offered at Lasec^®, however, we hope that they demonstrate the versatility and flexibility we can offer to help lab managers cut costs and maximize productivity in the lab. Microlabs, big and small, we’ve got a solution for them all!

CLICK HERE to shop our microbiology range online.

- Bilal Khan, Product Manager - Consumables

We welcome your feedback; please leave your comment below. Contact our Sales Department at sales@lasec.com or on +27 21 531 7504 to find out more about our product offerings.

March 5, 2020 | View: 1447 | Categories: Consumables | Tags: Microbiology Laboratory Consumables, Microbiology Lab Supplies, Microbiology Lab Equipment, Glassware used in the Microbiology Laboratory