Microbial Recovery And Flow Performance With ME25 And Supor™ Membranes In MicroFunnel™ Filter Funnels

By Maria Martinez Lobete, Discovery SLS Application Scientist

Membrane filtration remains one of the most efficient ways to assess fluids for microbiological contamination, offering faster preparation and reduced media use compared to traditional methods. Performance depends heavily on membrane characteristics, including material and pore size, which influence both flow rate and organism recovery. In this evaluation, two commonly used membrane types—mixed ester cellulose (ME25) and polyethersulfone (Supor™ PES)—were assessed using five representative microorganisms to determine how effectively each supports filtration-based microbial testing. The study compared water flow rate and organism recovery across multiple pore sizes, revealing that 0.45 µm Supor™ PES membranes delivered the fastest filtration.

Explore the full application note to understand how membrane selection can optimize testing workflows in pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and environmental laboratories.