MicroPhage is engaging in the business of making diagnostics better. Faster results. Expanded menus. Easy to use formats. MicroPhage is in the business of delivering high value bacterial diagnostics (identification and antibiotic testing) to the markets that need it most.

MicroPhage’s proprietary technology now allows for specific identification bacteria - directly from samples and cultures. Our platform technology also allows for direct antibiotic susceptibility and resistance testing. Whether your need is rapid determination of MRSA from blood cultures or clindamycin susceptibility in S. aureus from skin and soft tissue infections, the MicroPhage platform technology can

Up until now, most immunoassay infectious disease menus have been comprised of viruses (HIV 1/2, CMV, HSV, influenza A/B, etc.) with few bacterial exceptions (Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Groups A and B Streptococcus, etc.). The MicroPhage technology increases immunoassay sensitivity and specificity in particular, delivering tests with molecular or culture level performance in an easy-to use format.

Phage Amplification

MicroPhage’s proprietary technology offers the ability to increase specificity and decrease time to results on existing immunodiagnostic platforms. The MicroPhage Amplification System allows for better results with little or no extra effort or retraining required of the end user.

MicroPhage's technology represents a well-defined and novel approach to rapidly identifying pathogens. Specific bacteriophage are introduced to the processed sample, where they find, infect, and amplify their target pathogen(s) providing a very specific, highly amplified surrogate marker for rapid detection.

Bacteriophage selectively infect targeted bacteria and rapidly multiply. The system can generate as much as a 5-log amplification of signal. This allows for reduced incubation times, resulting in complete assay times of one to four hours compared with traditional culture assays of twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

This system represents a well-defined, yet novel approach to the non-PCR-based amplification and identification of many pathogens. Specific bacteriophages are used on the processed sample, infecting only their targets and thus provide a very selective method for bacterial identification.

Phage multiply very rapidly (versus the replication time of bacteria) within their target bacteria, producing tens to thousands of progeny phage that are released partially due to pressure increases from within the cell or due to a singular cellular burst event. The increase in concentration of the bacteriophage due to the presence of the target bacteria signals its presence.

In antibiotic tests, the bacteria are exposed to the target antibiotic in addition to the bacteriophage. Since bacteriophage amplification requires a viable, replicating bacterial host, susceptible organisms cannot support phage amplification and can be differentiated from resistant bacteria that do support bacteriophage amplification.