Fast and accurate detection of common contaminants

Life Technologies introduces a programme that streamlines the detection of three common contaminants of mammalian cell culture-based biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

The Applied Biosystems Cell Culture Rapid Methods Program applies core technologies from across the company to combine one sample preparation step with one instrument platform for real-time PCR based detection of Mycoplasma, Vesivirus 2117 and Mouse Minute Virus (MMV).

Mycoplasma, Vesivirus 2117 and MMV are DNA and RNA-based potential contamination threats in mammalian cell culture production. Because of its high accuracy and rapid same-day results, the Program helps enable in-process testing for these contaminants at multiple points along the biopharmaceutical manufacturing process.

In addition to Mycoplasma and Vesivirus detection introduced in 2009, the ViralSEQ MMV Detection Assay, introduced in April 2010, expands the company's portfolio of rapid molecular assays for mammalian cell culture processes. The PrepSEQ sample preparation assay completes the Rapid Methods Program package.

These biologic detection kits are highly sensitive and accurate tests that enable the quick isolation and detection of these known contaminants from cell culture samples. The improved protocol for

PrepSEQ 1-2-3 nucleic acid extraction kit can extract nucleic acid for all three contaminants from a single cell culture, in order to speed the detection of a multiple number of organisms.

Sample preparation and detection of all three contaminants can be performed in less than seven hours. It is expected that biopharmaceutical companies will use the program to detect potential contamination early in production, safeguarding the manufacturing processes.