If bacteria were glowing in the dark,it would be easy to detect them. Mycometer makes the traces of bacterial enzyme acitivity glow. The method is easy to perform on-site. Analysis time is reduced from days to minutes

CLEAN TECH

Made in Denmark

- There she sat,

glazing throughthe clear water

Hans Christian Andersen

The Little Mermaid

Clear Water

Clean AirClear Advice

Danish Environmental Technology Association

BactiQuant®-water

Reprint from the book

Clean Tech Made in Denmark by theDanish Environmental Technology Association, 2013

hour, and potential problems can be identi-fied before they become critical.

Comprehensive and quick results

The Bactiquant®-water test was developed by the Danish company Mycometer. The test has been extensively documented by customers worldwide and has recently been verified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA).

”The conventional methods used for de-tection of microbial contamination of water are labour-intensive, time-consuming, and sensitive to errors during the performance

Early detection of bacteria in drinking water and industrial process water is of utmost im-portance. Bacterial contamination is a serious potential health hazard. In the industry early warning can reduce water system downtime and reduce costs.

With standard lab analysis, it can take up to 2 or even 7 days to grow bacteria cultures in order to determine if the water, e.g. in urban water supply, is contaminated.

The Bactiquant®-water test reduces the time required from days into minutes. The con-centration of bacteria in a filtered sample of water can be determined in less than half an

A new on-site rapid method to detect bacterial

contamination in water has reduced analysis time from

days to minutes

Fluorescent objects emit light when exposed to light. If all bacteria were fluorescent, they would be easy to detect. You would just have to illuminate them and wait to see, if they emit light as a result.

Bacteria are not fluorescent. Nevertheless, Mycometer has developed a method to measure their concentration in water using highly sensi-tive fluorescence technology.

The method does not detect the bacteria themselves. Instead, it quantifies the amount of microbial enzymes. The concentration of these enzymes is equivalent to the concentration of the bacteria themselves. Bactiquant®-water targets a naturally occurring enzyme activ-ity in bacteria. The enzyme activity is present in a broad spectrum of bacteria, representing all major taxonomic groups, including gram negative and gram positive bacteria as well as aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The enzyme belongs to a class of enzymes called hydro-lases. Bactiquant®-water is very sensitive to the

presence of bacteria in water samples including suspended as well as bacteria immobilized on particles or in aggregates.

The method follows the following steps. First bacteria in the water sample is concentrated on a filter. Then an enzyme substrate is added directly to the filter. The substrate contains enzyme specific moieties combined with a fluorophore.

The enzyme specific moieties are molecules that are especially inclined to combine with certain microbial enzymes. When they do so, the bond to the fluorophore is broken.

The fluorophore is a fluorescent chemical compound. When illuminated with light at a wavelength of 365 nanometres (barely vis-ible ultraviolet light) it emits light that can be measured at 445 nanometres (blue light). The intensity of the fluorescence is proportional to the concentration of bacteria.

The entire procedure takes 10 – 30 minutes, and it can be undertaken on-site.

The Technology: TRACES OF BACTERIA GLOWING IN THE DARK

STAYING IN CONTROL OF

BACTERIA

Enzyme substrate

Fluorophore

Bacteria

EARLY WARNING - The test can be performed on site and the result is available at short notice

of the tests”, says Morten Miller, co-founder of Mycometer. ”Our method is quick. Even if the concentration of bacteria is low, the test can be completed in less than half an hour. It strengthens the ability to respond quickly and appropriately”.

Regaining control

Bactiquant®-water measures a specific en-zyme-activity in bacteria. A water sample is passed through a filter and an enzyme sub-strate is added. When bacteria are present, the enzymes trigger the release of a fluores-cent substance. The fluorescent light emitted by this chemical is proportional to the con-centration of total bacteria.

“Our method is particularly suited to docu-ment and evaluate different water treatment methods. If, for example, a method for the re-moval of bacteria does not work as it should, you can quickly detect it, respond to it and regain control”, says Morten Miller.

Action on critical thresholds

The full advantage of the technology can be reaped by frequent and regular monitoring of the water quality. Mycometer provides data software to help customers establish baselines for normal operation and to define thresholds for response actions.

On this basis, statistical changes can be de-tected at an early stage. It is therefore possible to prevent problems from occurring, rather than using many more resources to correct them after they have occurred.

The method is easy to handle and the chem-istry is simple and robust. Test results have a high reproducibility and repeatability as doc-umented by the US-EPA. The detection limits are low and the sensitivity is easily adjusted.Bactiquant®-water is available as a portable

test kit ready for use on site. A stationary version is also available, allowing simultane-ous filtration of five bottled samples.

In addition to the equipment and the data handling software, Mycometer also provides training and a Quality Assurance Package allowing for in-house proficiency testing of staff.

Flexible use for many purposes

The versatility of the system is very high. Samples of potable water, process water, rec-reational water and liquid industrial prod-ucts can be analyzed – along with suspended or dissolved surface samples. The method can also be used to detect microbial prob-lems in water treated for reuse and in water humidification equipment.

Many water utilites and consultancy com-panies in Denmark, Scandinavia, other Eu-ropean countries and the Middle East use Bactiquant®-water.

“The method is relevant for producers and suppliers of water throughout the world”, says Morten Miller. “Bottled water, tap wa-ter, process water, food & beverage indus-tries, and many others”.

Based on micro-biological research, Mycometer has developed rapid tests for detection and quantification of mould and bacteria

Mycometer has developed rapid tests for docu menting and delineating microbial con-ta mination in buildings and water systems. Rapid detection is often of great importance, for instance if drinking water, grain, or fruit are suspected to be contaminated.

Applied science

The company was founded in 1998 and is based on research conducted by the microbiologists Morten Reeslev and Morten Miller at University of Copenhagen in the late 90’s.

The first product, the Mycometer®-test, was presented to the market in 1999. It is a field test

for detecting and quantifying mould in buildings.The BactiQuant®-water test, presented to the

market for the first time in 2006, is a method to detect and quantify bacteria in water systems.

Since 2006 the company’s activities have grown at a high rate, notably in the past six years at an average yearly rate of 25 percent. 5 full-time and 8 part-time staff are employed in Denmark. The team in the United States consists of 2 staff members.

Fluorescent light is the indicator

“We concentrate on making our technology use-ful in real life,” says Morten Miller. The tests’ can be carried out on-site in less than half an hour, and the equipment can be transported in a small suitcase. The tests detect the enzyme activity of mould and bacteria, rather than the micro-organisms themselves. The sample to be tested

is mixed with a substrate supplied by Mycom-eter. When the substrate reacts with enzymes in the micro-organisms, a fluorescent substance is released. The fluorescence measured is equiva-lent to the concentration of microorganisms.

“Our expertise lies in identifying the enzymes that are relevant to indicate the number of microorganisms present, and in preparing the substrates that make precisely these enzymes trigger the fluorescence”, says Morten Miller.

Moderate costs

In addition to the test kit, the customers are provided with training of personnel before they receive the user certificate. The overall costs of using the methods are comparable to the utilisa-tion of standard lab analysis.

The equipment can be used for many diffe rent purposes, such as for tests of indoor air qual-ity, detection of contamination due to moisture, construction errors, and flooding.

Early detection of bacteria in water is crucial in water works and water supply systems, as well as in the food & beverage industries and in in-dustries in need of ultra-pure process water. It is also an excellent tool to control the quality of recycled water.

“We also make applications for customers with special needs, spanning from detection of moulds in antique books to monitoring bacterial contamination of the sediments from flue gas scrubbers at power plants”, says Morten Miller.

Mycometer a/sDr. Neergaards Vej 3 DK-2970 Hørsholm Denmark

www.mycometer.com

E-mail info@mycometer.com

Tel. +45 3916 1072

North American Operations:

Mycometer Inc., (USA)

5002 S. MacDill Avenue

Tampa, Florida 33611

lrogers@mycometer.com

Office: 813.831.6511

Mobile: 813.434.6998

Rapid Detection of Microbial Contamination