Biocide testing with PMEU Spectrion has begun!

PMEU biocide testing has been available already since the early years of this millenium. This method is based on Basic PMEU and ATP Assay. This combination gives reliable results and has been presented in several articles (last time in Paper and Timber, Nov. 2009).

First, very promising tests with PMEU Spectrion have now started, both in laboratory and in the mills. The picture above shows a typical equipment for mill trials, containing both PMEU Spectrion and ATP Assay tests. PMEU Spectrion measures growth curves of the microbial population (total or selective) automatically and is therefore independent of ATP Assay.

SAMPLION Ltd. will focus on Pulp and Paper biocide tests in August 2010, and samples are very welcome from 2.8.2010 on. More information of this free chance to be familiar with this novel method will be delivered by Microbiologist, Key Account Manager Juha V. Mentu (juha.mentu@samplion.fi) by request.

SAMPLION Ltd. exhibition stand before opening of the congress.

This picture represents the stand of SAMPLION Ltd. in PulPaper 2010 Congress exhibition on the day before the opening. This event was a success! 5800 visitors on Wednesday, on the "middle day" of the congress!

In addition to the exhibition stand, an oral presentation was given by Key Account Manager (originally paper industry microbiologist) Juha V. Mentu, which will be sent by request.

SAMPLION Ltd. joins the international PulPaper Exhibition and Conference at the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre 1.-3.6.2010

PMEU methods have been applied in paper industry microbiology since 2002 by company's microbiologists. The main facts and procedures of PMEU biocide and biofilm testings have been presented in Paper and Timber, Vol. 91 / No. 7-8 / 2009.

SAMPLION Ltd. will join PulPaper 2010, 1.-3.6.2010, Helsinki as an exhibitor and welcomes You to visit the company's exhibition stand,

6b27


The reference from the webpages of PulPaper tells "The event, organized by Adforum in cooperation with the Paper Engineers’ Association, AEL and The Finnish Fair Corporation will be the largest and most important show for the pulp, paper, board and converting industry worldwide in 2010. Exhibitors and visitors travel from all over the world to take part in this international event. The last PulPaper show in 2007 attracted 16102 visitors from 78 countries!".

PMEU applications for paper industry microbiology.

Paper industry microbiology is one of the several sectors of microbiology which can have significant benefits when applying PMEU methods for rapid hygiene control and HACCP procedures.

A paper mill consists of several technical parts which all act as growth environments (niches) for microbes. Paper machine itself is like a continuous flow fermentor, securing constant nutrient supply, growth environment and feedback for microbes. All regions of the system have their own microbial populations which cause risks for the processes, machinery, employees and product hygiene. Portable Microbiological Enrichment Unit (PMEU) by SAMPLION Oy (Siilinjärvi, Finland) has been modified to an analytical tool for paper industry microbiology, intended in estimation of microbial activities in process waters and simultaneous evaluation of alternative paper machine biocides. ATP Assay was combined with PMEU incubations to give quantitative values of living biomass during tests. PMEU can be used for the detection of harmful bacteria in raw materials and processes as well as on the control of biofilm-forming microbes when epifluorescence microscopy for the observations of biofilm growth on test plates is available. PMEU method helps to avoid bias, caused by the selecting and recovering effects of traditional colony count methods. Because of the robustness of  PMEU incubator, it does not necessarily need any specified microbiological laboratory but acts also as a stand alone cultivation system in common paper mill laboratories research institutes as their additional microbiological tool.

Marketing of PMEU unit is starting in this summer.

PMEU (Portable Microbiological Enrichment Unit) was developed by Dr. Elias Hakalehto for research purposes on 90's. A novel company called SAMPLION Ltd., grounded in May 2009, starts to deliver PMEU applications for different areas of microbiology.

Main features of PMEU enrichment, assay and testing procedures are its capability to enhance the growth of target microbes, its sensitivity and the challenge it serves when simulations of real target environments are needed. These features have already been proven in several research projects, derived eg. in hospitals, environmental laboratories and paper industry institutes.

We shall present these applications and refer our scientific articles, based on clinical, environmental, biotechnical and paper industry research projects, in this blog. All writers are experienced PMEU users, having long careers in microbiological research.