Run a sample
Disperse the cells, dilute into the working range, measure, and clean.
Your BactoBox® counts accurately between 30 000 and 5 000 000 cells/mL (3 × 10^4 to 5 × 10^6) in the vial you measure. Read Before you measure first.
Step by step
Disperse cells
Cells in a culture tend to stick to each other. To get repeatable dilutions, disperse the cells before your first dilution.
Transfer some culture to a tube you can vortex, such as a microcentrifuge tube or a centrifuge tube. Vortex for 30 seconds at maximum speed.
Some organisms form chains or clumps that a vortex cannot separate. If yours does, see Break up cell clumps.
Dilute 1:100
Transfer 101 µL from the tube into a diluent vial and rinse the tip in the vial. Vortex the vial for 10 seconds at maximum speed.
A 1:100 dilution suits young cultures, from lag to early exponential phase.
Dilute again to 1:10 000, for dense cultures
Overnight and stationary cultures are too dense for 1:100. Transfer 101 µL from your 1:100 vial into the second diluent vial and rinse the tip in the vial. Vortex the vial for 10 seconds at maximum speed.
Culture in mid-exponential phase? Use 1:1 000 instead. See Hit the right concentration.
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