Innovotech's MBEC Assay Approved as International Biofilm Standard

Innovotech Inc., a pioneer in the field of biofilm product development, announces that its MBEC Assay has been approved as an ASTM International (ASTM) standard. The assay was validated for testing the effectiveness of hard-surface disinfectants formulated to kill biofilm. The MBEC Assay is a biofilm growth device, which allows for the rapid, reproducible and simultaneous evaluation of multiple test conditions against microorganisms in their natural, biofilm state.

"Currently, most disinfectants are evaluated using bacteria grown in suspension," says Dr. Darla M. Goeres, assistant research professor, Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE) at Montana State University, and a member of the ASTM Subcommittee E35 on Pesticides, Antimicrobials, and Alternative Control Agents. "This method enables companies to determine the efficacy of products against bacteria in their more natural state, and therefore provides a better approach for predicting the efficacy of disinfectants under real-use conditions."

"The approval of the MBEC Assay as an ASTM standard represents a fundamental shift in how disinfectants will be evaluated on their effectiveness in protecting against harmful microorganisms," says Ken Boutilier, president and CEO of Innovotech. "This approval paves the way for a new generation of disinfectants in the food industry and in hospitals, designed specifically to address the issue of biofilms, thereby reducing the number of deaths and sicknesses resulting from foodborne and infection related illnesses."

Biofilms are organized communities of microorganisms that exist in virtually every natural environment. Biofilms can be up to 1000 times more resistant to treatment than the same organism in a free-floating state.

A recent report indicated that there are 76 million food-related illness a year, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the U.S., at a cost to the economy of $152 billion a year.

In addition to its MBEC Assay, Innovotech sells diagnostic kits that test bacterial susceptibility against antibiotics under biofilm conditions.