Services - ATP-Free Certification

Overview

ATP is the abbreviation for Adenosine triphosphate. ATP is the basic molecule that provides the energy required for biological reactions in all living cells. ATP contamination, among other laboratory contaminants, is a growing concern to many researchers and scientists due to its ability to negatively interfere with certain types of chemical and enzymatic reactions and experiments.

Since ATP is present in all living cells, ATP contamination can be contributed at any point in manufacturing and packaging where human interaction occurs and/or if these environments are not strictly controlled. This certification provides a practical method of double-checking the complete production process, or certain points in the production process, of your product to find out if and where ATP contamination is being contributed.

Major laboratory plastics manufacturers currently utilize an indirect testing method to certify their products ATP-Free. This method, usually a bioburden test, is outdated, time-consuming and inaccurate for detection of ATP. Our extremely sensitive ATP-Free certification tests your products at high levels of accuracy, which allows you to directly compete with the industry leaders in the manufacturing of laboratory plastics.

Our rapid, luciferase based assay is the quickest, most effective technology available for direct measurement of ATP levels. This method provides you with reliable results that allow you to sell your product with confidence in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

ATP Test Method

To detect the level of ATP in a sample of product, Mo Bio Laboratories uses a luciferase-based assay. Luciferase is the enzyme found in fireflies that causes them to emit light. The luciferase enzyme catalyzes an ATP dependent oxidation of the luciferin substrate (shown in the reaction below).

ATP + D Luciferin + O₂ --> Luciferase --> AMP + oxyluciferin + CO + PPi + light

The product samples are extracted in an extract liquid which is then combined with the luciferase enzyme. The light that is emitted during this reaction is measured by a device called a luminometer in relative light units (RLUs) and is proportional to the amount of ATP present. An ATP standard positive and a negative control are tested along with the product extract.

From the positive control a baseline cut-off value is calculated, if the product extract results in an ATP level that exceeds this value then the product is contaminated with ATP. If a product tests positive for ATP, it may be contaminated with microorganisms or other cellular debris. Further biological testing may be needed to verify the amount and type of contaminant that is present.

Test Sensitivity: 10^-14 mg/ul

Common Sources of ATP Contamination

The presence and amount of ATP is an indication of the level of purity of that product. During the manufacturing process, human handling of and exposure to manufacturing materials and machinery, creates opportunities for product contamination to occur. Contact with any of the following are common sources of ATP contamination:

finger tips
saliva
hair follicles
nasal cavity
ear canal

human interaction
food residues
water
soil particles
animals

How To Begin Certifying Your Products ATP-Free

To begin certifying your product ATP-Free, a sample of the product must be received by our Services Division to evaluate how best to extract your particular product for testing. Once an extraction procedure is approved, it is used each time that product is received for testing.

Many products will fit one of our pre-designed extraction procedures, such as microcentrifuge tubes, PCR tubes, pipet tips and PCR plates. However, not all products are the same, thus all products are evaluated on an individual basis. Liquid solutions and reagents as well as solids, due to the diversity of these products, require a separate test procedure to be designed each time a product of this type is submitted.

To begin the testing process, Click Here.

You and your company decide upon a testing schedule that best fits the needs of your particular product. MO BIO Laboratories, Inc. can work with you to design a testing schedule that accomplishes this goal. Click here for more information.

Pricing

MB060	ATP-Free Certification (per sample)	$162.00
MB070	Custom Extraction Procedure (if applicable)	$236.00

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Download an Excel file to submit your samples for testing by MO BIO.

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