We recommend the MBEC Assay® Biofilm Inoculator with 96 well bases to most customers. It is useful for many commonly used bacterial species such Acinetobacter spp., Escherichia spp., Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus spp., some streptococcus spp., Proteus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella spp., and Enterobacter spp.
The MBEC Assay® Biofilm Inoculator with 96 well base & Hydroxyapatite is used to simulate bone/teeth, so we recommend this product for dental pathogens (Streptococcus mutans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis). Hydroxyapatite coated pegs typically result in greater biofilm growth compared to uncoated pegs, so we also recommend the MBEC Assay® Biofilm Inoculator with 96 well base & Hydroxyapatite for strains that form weaker biofilms (Candida, Citrobacter, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria, Nocardia, fungus, yeast, and anaerobic strains).
The trough base is recommended for strains that prefer the side-to-side flowing against the MBEC Assay® pegs rather than the rotary motion; this typically works well with plant pathogens.
If you are uncertain about which product to order, contact info@innovotech.
The 96 well base has separate wells which allow you to test different strains in different wells. The trough base doesn’t have separate wells, it’s a tray with open longitudinal rows where inoculated media would flow from side to side on a rocker shaker, which only allows one strain per plate.
We sell the MBEC Assay® Kits with 96 well bases to 95% of our customers. The trough base is mainly used for plant pathogen strains, where we need larger fluid volume flowing against the pegs.
Minimum order is a case of 10 MBEC Assay® plates, prices vary between the regular and the coated MBEC Assay® plates. Academic institutions get a 10% discount on all MBEC Assay® products. Additional discounts may be available for large orders. Click here for prices
Yes. We are happy to provide you with two sample assays. We ship our samples with Canada Post free of charge. Delivery takes 2-3 weeks. If you would like to receive the samples sooner, please provide a courier account number with your request.
To request samples, please email info@innovotech.ca with your name, company name, billing address, shipping address (with a phone number) and the product(s) you are interested in.
Yes.
Please email info@innovotech.ca or sales@innovotech.ca with your name, company name, billing address, shipping address (with a phone number) and the product(s) you are interested in. You always have the option to provide your courier account number and we can deduct the shipping cost from the quote. Quotes are valid for 60 days.
All orders are currently processed though our Edmonton office. We ship directly from our office in Canada worldwide.
Yes, we can ship via your company’s shipping account. In this case, we waive the shipping cost.
If you would like us to ship via your account, please contact us at sales@innovotech.ca.
When the product is in stock, typical shipping times are:
1-2 business days for North America
3-4 business days for countries outside North America
Delivery times may vary based on country.
Any ultrasonic cleaner should work. This is an example of the ones available from VWR:
https://us.vwr.com/store/product/12626090/vwr-ultrasonic-cleaners-220v;jsessionid=CypugE60bBCOtLmyua3WwYnn.estore4a. The size of the sonicator is based on the size of experiments you typically run in your lab.
You need to use a solid tray like this one: Solid Insert Tray for 3510, VWR Catalogue #100491-720. Make sure the water bath of the ultrasonic cleaner is full of water. Place the stainless steel tray in the water bath. Place the MBEC Assay® Kits on the stainless steel tray (don’t stack more than two plates high), then turn on the sonicator for 30 min.
Using a flame sterile pair of needle nose pliers, grasp the base of the peg and snap the peg off by twisting the pliers. The biofilm only grows on the top third portion of the peg (the portion immersed in the inoculated media), thus there is no risk of disrupting the attached biomass.
Here is a link to our MBEC Assay® Procedural Manual for general information for growing biofilms.
Some troubleshooting tips for growing biofilms:
– Ensure that the humidity in your incubator is 75%-90%, to avoid drying out the wells over the incubation period.
– Place your MBEC Assay® plate on the proper shaker at the proper rpm speed (110 rpm is recommended for 96 well bases)
– Start with the right inoculum concentration (105-106 CFU/mL)
– Use the proper media and growth condition for the strain you are growing (some strains require the use of a 5% CO2 incubator, or specific growth factors i.e. glucose)
– Try using the MBEC Assay® Biofilm Inoculator with 96 well base & hydroxyapatite coated pegs. Using hydroxyapatite coated pegs typically results in greater biofilm growth, compared to the standard uncoated pegs.
If you would like more specific information or additional help, please email info@innovotech.ca with detailed information about the strain(s) and conditions you are using.
We accept wire transfers, credit card via PayPal, purchase orders and cheques.
Our order page on our website redirects to PayPal. If you would like to pay by an alternative method, please contact sales@innovotech.ca.
For first time customers, we require payment upfront for the first order. However, we make an exception for universities and hospitals. If you are a first-time customer and upfront payment is not possible for you, please contact sales@innovotech.ca or info@innovotech.ca for a credit application.
Unfortunately, we do not receive information about our customers’ custom fees. The custom fee depends on the country and your company’s tax status.
Yes. You do not need a PayPal account to pay with a credit card. The option to pay without an account is at the bottom of the page.
3923.10.9000
Our products are made of polystyrene plastic.
Customs delays typically occur for two reasons: either border agents require additional information about the shipment or customs fees are required to be paid.
Call your country’s courier information center with your tracking number to assess the situation. If you need assistance, please email info@innovotech.ca.
Please note: Customers are responsible for customs fees.
Our products are not toxic and do not fall under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulation. Our products are not dangerous goods. Here are links to our SDS’s:
Uncoated MBEC Assay® device SDS
Titanium dioxide coated MBEC Assay® device SDS
Hydroxyapatite coated MBEC Assay® device SDS
Cellulose coated MBEC Assay® device SDS
Our products are stored at room temperature. They expire 3 years after their manufacture date.
Absolutely, through our contract research division, we perform antimicrobial validation testing using the MBEC Assay® kit in-house for our clients for competitive prices and with a quick turnaround time.