Rapid microbial testing

Advancing microbial quality and safety testing

Results within hours
Direct testing on any material
Continuous phenotypic detection
Extreme sensitivity (LOD <5 CFU)
Detects only live microbes

Microbial contamination poses a critical challenge across cosmetics, personal care products, consumer goods, and industrial formulations. Yet traditional microbial testing methods are slow, labor-intensive, often fail to detect low-level contamination, and frequently struggle with high-viscosity, complex, or preservative-rich formulations.

The calScreener biocalorimetry system is designed to overcome these limitations by accelerating microbial QC and formulation development. It enables direct product testing, delivers rapid, sensitive, and reliable results by detecting only viable organisms, is easy to operate, and requires only minimal sample volume.

Welcome to next-generation microbial testing.

MICROBIAL DETECTION WITH BIOCALORIMETRY

Isothermal microcalorimetry detects the metabolic heat produced by microorganisms with exceptional sensitivity. This enables detection of microbial contamination at only a few CFU within just a few hours. Where optical, molecular, and culture-based tests struggle with product characteristics, limited sensitivity, and complex sample preparation, biocalorimetry excels:

Provides direct and sensitive measurement in thick, opaque, and viscous materials
Reliable across both preservative-heavy and clean-label formulations
Versatile for measurements on raw materials, intermediates, and final products

FASTER FORMULATION DEVELOPMENT & ACCELERATED QUALITY CONTROL

Depending solely on external laboratories using traditional plating tests is problematic, as it often means weeks of waiting for results, delaying the ability to safely release products to customers. Performing microbial laboratory testing internally through biocalorimetry accelerate both formulation development and quality control timelines.

Raw materials: Screen incoming ingredients for contamination risks
In-Process: Microbial load testing and process control
Finished Product QC & Release: Rapid testing for faster and safer product release
Challenge Testing & Stability Studies: Faster testing of microbial survival, regrowth, or stress responses to validate preservatives and formulation robustness

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Rapid Microbial Detection for Cosmetics & Skincare

Ensuring microbial safety in cosmetics is increasingly challenging as brands reduce preservatives and move toward cleaner formulations. Traditional culture-based assays take days and often miss low-level contamination in viscous creams, oils, and complex emulsions. Biocalorimetry enables direct, label-free testing of creams, serums, balms, gels, and emulsions without dilution or enrichment. Its high sensitivity — down to only a few CFU — allows early detection of very low microbial loads throughout development and manufacturing. This makes it a powerful solution for brands focused on product safety and clean, consumer-friendly ingredients.

Accelerated contamination Testing of Consumer Goods & Personal Care

Maintaining microbial quality in liquid consumer products such as shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and detergents is essential for safety and shelf-life. Traditional microbial assays often struggle with surfactants, dyes, and preservatives, leading to delayed results or false negatives. Biocalorimetry enables rapid, growth-based detection of live microorganisms with high sensitivity, even in surfactant-rich or foamy formulations. This accelerates QC workflows and provides reliable microbial assurance for high-volume consumer goods production.

Preventing Microbial Spoilage in Paints, Coatings, and Chemical Products

Microbial contamination in water-based paints and coatings can cause spoilage, viscosity changes, off-odors, and reduced performance. Traditional sterility tests are slow and often incompatible with thick, pigmented, or chemically complex formulations. Preservatives may also suppress growth during plating, hiding early contamination. Biocalorimetry allows direct testing of finished formulations by detecting microbial metabolism through heat signals, delivering actionable results within hours. This helps manufacturers prevent spoilage, refine preservative strategies, and maintain consistent product quality across batches.

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The calScreener: Automated, Rapid Microbial Detection

The calScreener biocalorimeter delivers automated microbial detection with a streamlined workflow. Direct testing of finished products, in-process samples, and raw materials enables faster, more confident decisions throughout development and manufacturing.

Rapid: Real-time metabolic heat signatures reveal contamination hours to days before culture-based assays
Versatile: Direct testing of finished products, raw materials, and in-process samples—no filtration, lysis, reagents, or complex preparation
Sensitive: Detects low microbial loads, including organisms stressed by manufacturing, preservatives, or processing conditions.