QC Strains

NCIMB supplies a range of quality control (QC) strains with guaranteed traceability in three easy-to-use formats: glass ampoules, screw top vials and MicroSnap^TM.

Our QC range includes Candida albicans, Aspergillus brassiliensis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in addition to 29 commonly required bacterial strains. All of NCIMB’s QC strains are certified first generation reference strains produced to ISO 9001:2015 standards. 

As curators of the UK’s National Collection of Industrial Food and Marine Bacteria, we can guarantee traceability, and provide strains equivalent to other culture collections where available.  By using first generation strains in our QC products, we minimise the risk of genetic drift, and help our customers to work to the highest quality control standards.

NCIMB’s glass ampoule and screw top vial QC products contain a strip of filter paper impregnated with freeze dried culture, giving a convenient format for single use procedures such as quality assurance testing of culture media.

Once the ampoule or vial has been opened, the strip can be dropped directly into or onto the appropriate medium, reducing risk of contamination. There are no expert handling requirements for this format and shelf life is considerably longer than for vacuum packaged gelatine-based products.

A selected range of our QC strains is also available in the MicroSnap format. This all plastic device is comprised of a lower chamber containing freeze dried culture and an upper chamber with resuscitation fluid and a swab. When activated by a simple snapping motion, the resuscitation fluid enters the lower chamber.  The integral swab can be used immediately after mixing to inoculate growth media.

Our contract freeze drying service is available for preservation of customer strains, such as isolates obtained from environmental monitoring programmes.