Microbiology and Life Science News

When selecting the right membrane for a microfiltration application, one of the most important factors to consider is membrane wettability. While hydrophobic membrane filters are ideal for air and gas filtration, they are not suitable for filtering aqueous solutions. Hydrophilic membrane filters, on the other hand, are commonly used for clarification and sterilization of water-based fluids but are not typically used for venting applications.

To conceptualize the forces contributing to membrane wettability, you can start by thinking of a water drop on a material’s surface.

(Yuan & Lee, 2013)

When the electrostatic attraction between the water

Sterlitech Kato-Katz Test Kits are designed for diagnostic use in the field. Our kit was developed in response to difficulty among research groups, control programs, and health organizations to readily source the materials needed for this testing. Field scientists utilize Kato-Katz tests to identify the presence of parasitic Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) eggs in fecal samples from infected patients. It can be used to diagnose individual infection and monitor disease prevalence across communities for epidemiological studies. Compared to other diagnostic methods, the Kato-Katz technique offers the benefit of sample preservation, enabling field samples to be stored for later study.¹ It complements the Sterlitech Schistosome Test Kit, which detects parasitic Schistosome worm eggs in urine.

STH worm infections affect

Groundwater is a vital natural resource; it provides drinking, household, and irrigation water across the country and the world. Over half of the United States population relies on groundwater as their drinking water source.¹ Unfortunately, in some geographical regions, groundwater supplies are at risk of depletion and contamination. Pollutants can originate from septic systems, landfills, underground oil and gas tanks, and various atmospheric contaminants. Emerging issues to assess in groundwater testing are the impacts of hydraulic fracturing, sea water intrusion, and microplastics accumulation.  

In the US, organizations like the US Geological Survey (USGS) sample and analyze groundwater to monitor water availability and water quality. Scientists run tests on the physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of groundwater sources, and use this data to monitor and forecast how these factors might be impacted by increasing human consumption and climate change.

The Seq-Well protocol uses PCTE membranes in an innovative platform for rapid single-cell transcriptomics. This powerful tool in the world of clinical discovery offers a precise snapshot of cellular behavior.

As the product of a joint research venture between the Shalek and Love groups at MIT, this portable device combines single-cell sequencing with microfluidics technology. The system enables researchers to study RNA transcripts present in numerous individual cells at a given point in time. Thousands of cells undergo parallel RNA sequencing for thousands of genes, yielding large sets of data that indicate patterns in gene expression. For example, data collected by the developers

Sterlitech now offers transparent polyester track-etch (PETE) membrane filters with sufficient clarity to perform high resolution optical imaging through the membrane.  The key attribute of this material is a special, low density pore structure that mitigates light diffusion and renders the filters highly translucent. Furthermore, the membrane has very uniform thickness and flat surfaces so tissue cultures lie in one focal plane. Our transparent PETE filters are available in the 0.4 µm pore size rating commonly used for cell cultures.

Track-etch membranes have a long history of use in tissue culture experimentation, including use in multiwell plates and cell culture inserts. These membranes can act as scaffolding to create physiological microenvironments promoting growth of attachment-dependent cell cultures. The pore structures

February is here, and for many research teams across the world, that means it’s time to set sail. Shoulder seasons are an important time to conduct marine research because many algal and microbial species are in bloom. Whether your research has you voyaging the open sea or cruising in coastal waters, Sterlitech is here to stock the ship with all your laboratory filtration needs.

We are proud to have our membrane filters take part in the adventure. Our customers utilize silver, glass fiber, and polycarbonate track etch (PCTE) membrane filters in aquatic research.^{1, 2, 3} These filters travel the seven seas, treating collected sea water samples for retention and analyses of algae, microorganisms, and microscopic particles.^{1, 4}

Track etch

In a recent article, we described how environmental DNA (eDNA) has been used to detect the presence of aquatic species in lakes and rivers.  eDNA studies have demonstrated great potential for surveillance of rare, endangered, and invasive species by simply collecting and analyzing water samples from target habitats.  Dr. Caren Goldberg, of Washington State University, is one researcher using a unique combination of Sterlitech filters in her investigations of Yangtze giant softshell turtles in southeast Asia, tiger salamanders in California and Arizona, and fairy shrimp in southern California.

Many of our eDNA end-user researchers utilize

Nobuto Blood Filter Strips are the bloodiest product in Sterlitech’s catalog; get some in time for Halloween sample testing! Made from high-purity cellulose fibers, these strips are structured for uniform sampling. Each strip holds approximately 0.1 mL of blood or 0.04 mL of serum.

Once blood is applied and the strip has dried, researchers can analyze, store, or mail the samples without refrigeration. Studies have shown that these collection devices are easy to use and enable delayed analysis of samples collected in the field. The strips are a valuable resource for the diagnosis and surveillance of avian influenza viruses, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and West Nile virus (WNV) in wild birds.

Sterlitech offers Nobuto blood filter strips in packs of 100 with plastic drying racks that hold up to 40 strips at one time. In addition to common bird diseases, these strips can be used to test wild animals for a whole host of scary zoonotic pathogens including toxoplasmosis,

Sterlitech is pleased to announce that you can now find the dyed polycarbonate membrane filters on their new product page, https://www.sterlitech.com/dyed-polycarbonate-membranes.html. These hydrophilic, polycarbonate track-etch (PCTE) membrane filters have been pigmented using black dye to minimize membrane autofluorescence. The dyed PCTE membrane filters are ideal for use with fluorescence microscopy analyses that involve direct observation and enumeration of animal cells or microorganisms that have been labeled with fluorescent markers. They are also suitable for optical microscopy studies of light colored particles and microorganisms by providing a dark background for enhanced contrast.

We now offer two types of the dyed PCTE membrane filters to cover the broadest possible range of potential applications.  One type is dyed using the traditional method with Irgalan Black dye. The resulting membrane

In last October’s newsletter, Sterlitech announced the availability of kits for performing the Kato-Katz  analysis technique for Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH) in field-based applications, signifying the first time that these kits were available from a source in the United States. Prior to this, the efforts of research groups and health organizations could be hampered by limited availability. Recognizing the global health need, Sterlitech developed the kits to ensure a consistent and reliable supply. We are pleased to announce that, in less than a year, Sterlitech has already supplied enough Kato-Katz Kits to perform 87,000 diagnostic tests.

The Kato-Katz Kits are used to identify and enumerate parasitic eggs in feces samples from at-risk individual. The testing enables clinicians and field