DuPont Qualicon RiboPrinter® Microbial Characterization System

The DuPont Qualicon RiboPrinter® microbial characterization system is now available from Oxoid in Europe and Australia and provides an automated genetic fingerprint (RiboPrint™ pattern) of any bacterium in less than 8 hours.

RiboPrint™ patterns let you characterize spoilage organisms, pathogens, beneficial organisms, or any bacterium important to you. No specialist operator skills are required.

With the DuPont Qualicon RiboPrinter® system restriction enzyme flexibility, you can ribotype bacteria using either the pre-packaged restriction enzymes or one of your choice, while retaining the advantages of full automation. The ever-expanding identification database now includes more than 5,700 patterns, covering more than 180 genera and 1,200 species.

The RiboPrinter® system Data sharing system allows authorised users to electronically share databases of bacterial strains allowing labs to quickly and easily compare, analyse and automatically store genetic "fingerprint" information.

Features of this networking system offer a wide range of data-pooling possibilities:

• Universities and hospitals can give many analysts access to data generated by one instrument.
• A central quality control laboratory can efficiently compile and analyse data from remote plants or labs.
• Regulatory agencies can collect and analyse data from numerous places to monitor the spread of bacteria.
• Data from various sites can be consolidated into larger, more refined groupings helping with analysis of information that has been collected over time and from different locations.
• Service labs can rapidly share data with authorized customers.

Additionally, information sharing is secure because only data with unique host-assigned tags can be copied. Transfers are automated and can be scheduled to run out-of-hours.