Pro-Cult® discs are manufactured exclusively from NCTC® (National Collection of Type Cultures) and NCPF® (National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi) cultures and are guaranteed to be first generation from the source strains.
Each Pro-Cult® disc is a freeze-dried presentation of approximately 10⁶ – 10⁹ viable organisms. Unlike many other cultures, Pro-Cult® discs are sourced from recognised culture collections; each lot number of Pro-Cult® is guaranteed as “first generation” directly traceable to its source.
Pro-Cult® organisms are used in clinical, food, pharmaceutical, water and veterinary laboratories to control commonly used detection methods, culture media, identification techniques and sensitivity testing methods. Many of the strains are recommended by UKHSA, the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) and/or The European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST), as well as various European and American organisations regulating microbial testing methods.
Bacterial control strains with well-documented phenotypic characteristics are used to check that laboratory tests are producing correct results. Pro-Cult® strains are manufactured exclusively from Culture Collections and are first generation subcultures, unlike many other products on the market which can be 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation subcultures. They are preserved in such a way as to minimize any alterations to the phenotype due to mutations.
NCTC®, NCPF® and National Collection of Type Cultures are trademarks of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Equivalent ATCC® strains are listed where available. ATCC® is registered trade mark of the American Type Culture Collection.
First Generation Explained
With the advent of laboratory ISO and UKAS, inspections are of course inevitable. It has been brought to our attention that there is a little confusion over the traceability of Pro-Cult®, and also the “First Generation Claim”. This may have been due to the use of the word “derivative” that has now been removed from all references to Pro-Cult®.
Pro-Cult® discs are manufactured exclusively from NCTC® (National Collection of Type Cultures) and NCPF® (National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi) cultures and are guaranteed to be first generation from the source strains. Each Pro- Cult® disc is a freeze-dried presentation of approximately 10⁶ – 10⁹ viable organisms.
The unique manufacturing process uses the parent strain suspended in an inert medium which is then freeze dried immediately into the presentation format. When the strains are then reconstituted in your laboratory, for the first time, you have the guaranteed first generation. All QC testing is done in the same way that the customers reconstitute the strain to guarantee first generation in accordance with ISO 13485:2016 in a UKAS accredited laboratory (No. 2496), certificates are available on request.
Should you have any additional questions concerning the generation, traceability or use of Pro- Cult®, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Pro-Cult® Product Details
Colonial Variation
In common with many bacterial strains, some Pro-Cult® organisms are well known to produce one or more colonial variants. Colonial variation may depend on media type and duration of incubation; longer incubation times will tend to reveal more variants.
Full details for strain applications can be found in the Pro-Cult® Technical Product Guide. Copies are available upon request or can be downloaded at www.pro-lab.co.uk.
Shelf Life
Pro-Cult® discs are guaranteed to contain at least 10⁶ organisms at the time of purchase; this number is sufficient to ensure that when the discs are used and stored as directed there will be viable organisms culturable up to the stated end of the shelf life, which is usually 9 months from the time the vial is first opened.
Quality Control
Pro-Cult® batches are tested in a UKAS accredited testing laboratory (number 2496). A test report for each batch of Pro-Cult® is available on request.
The reporting of Pro- Cult® test results comes under appropriate UKAS accreditation.
All Pro-Cult® cultures are rigorously tested to confirm identity, possession of essential phenotypic characteristics and to exclude contamination with other organisms. Photographic evidence of the test results is retained for each batch, along with retained appropriately stored samples.
You can download the safety data sheet here:2024-01-31 ProCult SDS
