3 peer-reviewed JCM publications. 10-year anaerobe viability data. Validated at -20°C. 80 vials, ~25 cultures each.
Anaerobe Viability @ 10 Yrs
Isolates Archived Globally
Proven Storage Data
GS1 Datamatrix on every vial ensures seamless LIS integration from the moment the vial enters storage. The only commercial bead system with this capability.
Unique porous beads allow for 25 individual retrievals without the need for detrimental freeze-thaw cycles of the entire sample. Remove one bead with a sterile needle — the rest stay frozen forever.
Manchester Metropolitan University independent study: all 41 NCTC/NCPF reference strains viable from a single bead at 24 months stored at -20°C. Competitors validate at -70°C only.
| Criterion | Microbank® (Pro-Lab) | Hardy Protect™ | Generic Glycerol |
|---|---|---|---|
| JCM Publications | 3 Peer-Reviewed | 0 Publications | Unvalidated |
| PMIDs | 15004063, 16455912, 18701656 | N/A | N/A |
| Retrievals per Vial | ~25 beads (individual) | Single-use or destructive | Bulk freeze-thaw required |
| -20°C Validated | YES — 24 months, 41 NCTC strains | No (-70°C only) | No |
| 10-Year Anaerobe Data | YES — 100/100 | No | No |
| Textbook Citations | Bailey & Scott's + Manual of Clin. Micro. | None | None |
CAP and CLIA require that QC organisms remain viable and characteristically stable. When a CAP inspector asks for documented validation of your organism storage, Microbank® gives you 3 peer-reviewed JCM publications — not manufacturer claims.
Streamline inventory with color-coded cryovials and stackable boxes. GS1 2D barcodes allow seamless LIS integration. Eliminate freeze-thaw cycling with single-bead retrieval — each bead is one culture, the rest stay frozen indefinitely.
Quick and easy retrieval. Pick one bead with a sterile needle and inoculate directly. No thawing the master stock, no re-freezing. Use the Cryoblock (PL.155-1) to keep the vial cold at bench while you work.
When a collection represents years of outbreak investigation and surveillance, storage failure isn't an option. The University of Liverpool maintains 65,000 isolates at -70°C — some from 2000, still routinely resuscitated. When you retrieve an MRSA isolate from two years ago, its methicillin resistance is exactly as documented.
Items commonly used with Microbank® — sourced from the IFU materials list and workflow requirements.
PLD001 / PLD010
Used in the Microbank® inoculation procedure — sterile, disposable, single-use loops for picking colonies from pure culture.
View Pro-Loops™ →
PL.850-Series
Required for Microbank® inoculation — calibrate suspension to 3–4 McFarland standard before adding to cryopreservative.
View McFarland Standards →
PL.155-1
Keeps Microbank® vials cold at the bench during bead retrieval — minimizes temperature excursion to preserve viability of remaining beads.
View Cryoblock™ →
PL.390
Confirm organism identity before freezing in Microbank® — rapid cytochrome oxidase spot test, room temperature storage, 30-second reading window.
View TestOxidase™ →Detailed product information for procurement and regulatory compliance. All units ship in standard 80-vial boxes.
Yes — validated at -20°C. An independent study at Manchester Metropolitan University showed all 41 NCTC/NCPF reference strains gave moderate to heavy growth from a single bead at 24 months stored at both -20°C and -80°C. No ULT freezer required. For best long-term results beyond 2 years, -70°C is recommended.
At -80°C: 100 diverse anaerobic bacteria viable after 10 years (UK PHLS ARU Cardiff). Yeasts and moulds: 97.8% yeast and 98.6% mould recovery up to 10 years (Espinal-Ingroff et al., J Clin Microbiol 2004; PMID: 15004063). Manufacturer claims storage data up to 25 years.
Each vial contains approximately 25 porous beads. Remove one bead per sub-culture with a sterile needle — the remaining beads stay frozen and undisturbed. Up to 25 identical sub-cultures from one stored organism.
Yes. MRSA methicillin resistance was maintained throughout a 2-year peer-reviewed study (Veguilla et al., J Clin Microbiol 2008; PMID: 18701656), conducted at University of South Florida and Florida Dept. of Health. Antifungal susceptibility MICs unchanged at 4 years in a study of 6,198 yeasts (PMID: 15004063).
Yes. In the largest published validation study for any commercial bead system, 6,198 yeast/yeast-like organisms and 391 moulds stored. Overall yeast recovery: 99.3%. Dermatophyte fungi validated (Baker & Jeffries, PMID: 16455912). Exception: Candida dubliniensis showed reduced recovery (33%) — do not store for reliable retrieval.
Standard Microbank® (PL.170C) includes the proprietary cryopreservative solution — the basis for all published performance data. Microbank® Dry (PL.172) ships the same beads and vials without the cryopreservative, for labs that add their own preservation solution. All peer-reviewed studies used the standard cryopreservative formulation.
The key difference is freeze-thaw cycling. Glycerol stocks require thawing the master stock for every sub-culture — each cycle risks viability loss and characteristic drift. Microbank® lets you remove one bead without thawing anything else. Bailey & Scott's Diagnostic Microbiology and the Manual of Clinical Microbiology cite Microbank® as the preferred commercial method over glycerol broth.
Do not use the vial if: (1) it shows evidence of leakage (loss of cryopreservative), (2) there is excess turbidity in the cryopreservative suggesting contamination, or (3) the expiration date on the outer label has elapsed. Not validated as a transport device or diagnostic reagent. Candida dubliniensis shows significantly reduced recovery — do not store for reliable retrieval (IFU PL170C Rev. 2023-04).
No. Beads must never be returned to the Microbank® vial for any reason (IFU safety precaution). Once a bead is removed for sub-culture, discard it after use. Returning a used bead risks contaminating all remaining stored isolates in the vial.
An overnight culture of 18–24 hours is preferred for inoculation. Pick colonies to achieve a 3–4 McFarland standard in the cryopreservative. Aseptic technique must be maintained at all times to ensure the continued integrity of the stored isolate (IFU PL170C Rev. 2023-04).
Join the global network of reference laboratories trusting Microbank® for critical microbial storage.