ATCC Launches Web-Based Standards Search Tool.

MANASSAS, Va. -- ATCC(R) (American Type Culture Collection) announced today the launch of a searchable Web-based resource for cross-referencing ATCC strains with a database of widely used and agreed-upon test methods and laboratory procedural standards.

Part of the ATCC Standards Program, the Web-based resource is a searchable database of standard microbiology test methods and commercial assays that is linked to information on ATCC's collection of reference microorganisms. The search tool allows scientists and laboratory professionals to determine which ATCC-held bacteria, viruses, fungi or cell lines are specified in a particular standardized test method or procedure.

"This standards resource will be a tremendous help for communities of scientists in clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical development, quality control microbiology and a host of other fields in which microorganisms are used for testing," said Joseph Perrone, ScD, Vice President for the Standards Program at ATCC. "Users can quickly and easily find information about high-quality ATCC reference materials that are used in a wide range of tests and protocols."

ATCC cultures are commonly used as standard controls in areas as diverse as clinical laboratory testing, environmental monitoring and pharmaceutical development. They are also used widely in microbiology testing for industrial-scale manufacturing of foods, beverages, textiles, paint, cosmetics and personal care products. Professional organizations and government agencies draft procedural standards for microbiology assays and tests that often specify the use of particular ATCC strains.

For example, ATCC strains are cited in agreed-upon standard protocols for testing the efficacy of an antibiotic or cleaning technique such as handwashing or steam sterilization. They are also used as controls when testing for the ability of a product, such as paint or preserved lumber, to resist microbial attack. Other ATCC materials are cited in standard procedures for microbe identification.

Users of the ATCC Standards Resource can enter a specific protocol that has been established as a consensus standard. The standards resource will return information about the ATCC reference materials necessary for carrying out that standard procedure. Alternatively, persons can search for a particular ATCC standard reference microorganism and view all standards-related information associated with that material.

Standards resource users can search standard test methods by name or number of the organization or company that developed it, or by the number of the test that calls for ATCC strains. They can access product page descriptions for the cultures specified. The Web-based standards resource can be accessed through the ATCC Web site at http://www.atcc.org/.

For over eighty years, ATCC has played a key role in the area of standards. ATCC uses meticulous characterization and preservation methods that maintain reference materials in a manner that permits reproducibility of results across time and among laboratories around the world.

About ATCC

ATCC is the world's largest biological resource center and the most comprehensive source of reference cultures and reagents used by researchers in academic and industry laboratories. Since 1925, ATCC, also known as American Type Culture Collection, has set the standard for authentication and distribution of biological reference materials for life science research in the public and private sector. ATCC's mission is to acquire, authenticate, preserve, develop, and distribute biological materials, information, technology, intellectual property, and standards for the advancement, validation and application of scientific knowledge. www.atcc.org.