TNO to Offer New Microflora Exploration Pathways

The new Microflora Exploration Centre of TNO will provide services to study the composition and dynamics of microbial populations. The analysis will be preformed on intestinal, skin, oral cavity and vaginal microbial populations.

22/04/09 On May 1, Netherlands based research institute TNO will start the Microflora Exploration Centre (MEC). MEC will provide services on analyzing samples containing complex microbial flora populations. Instead of making use of low throughput conventional methods like culturing and molecular detection methods customers will benefit from MEC’s capability to design, manufacture and apply customized DNA-chip based diagnostics. MEC will offer huge throughput, clear data and price competitive analysis.

The new Microflora Exploration Centre of TNO will provide services to study the composition and dynamics of microbial populations. The analysis will be preformed on intestinal, skin, oral cavity and vaginal microbial populations. TNO uses its chip technology that is able to measure and monitor up to 600 species within one run. In the Centre analysis will be performed in a high throughput setting. The food, personal care, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry can use the services of MEC to develop products and ingredients that improve health by establishing a balanced microbial flora.

TNO already offered industrial partners the application of TNO’s Intestinal Flora Chip (I-chip) for many years. By centralizing the various services within one entity, launched as MEC, TNO is able to offer cost efficient and rapid services. From now, the newest developments are transferred from a research into a service environment. In addition to human microbial populations, several animal species applications are offered as well.