1. What is a Compact Dry plate?
- Compact Dry plates are a type of ready-made agar culture plate, manufactured by Shimadzu (Japan) – the leading trusted brand in the field of analytical science. The plate has a dry structure, fully containing nutrients and color indicators for each specific microorganism such as: total aerobic count (TC), coliform, E. coli, Salmonella, yeast and mold,...
- When the sample is dropped in the center of the plate, the medium automatically spreads evenly, with no need for medium preparation or sterilization steps. After incubation, colonies appear clearly with characteristic colors, making identification and counting easy.
* Mechanism of the Compact Dry plate
- When the sample (usually 1 ml) is dropped onto the center of the plate surface, the liquid will spread evenly across the entire surface of the medium thanks to the capillary action mechanism. The dry medium inside the plate absorbs the sample and regenerates a soft gel, equivalent to agar in the traditional method.
- Color indicators in the medium help distinguish target microorganisms: for example, E. coli colonies may appear blue, coliform pink, or mold may appear with a characteristic color depending on the type.
- After incubation at a suitable temperature (usually 35–37°C depending on the plate type) for about 24–48 hours, the colonies will grow and change color, making it easy for users to count and preliminarily identify with the naked eye.
👉 Thanks to this mechanism, no medium preparation, no plate pouring, no complex handling – just drop the sample, incubate, and read the results.
2. Superior advantages of Shimadzu Compact Dry plates compared with traditional methods
3. Why should you invest in using Shimadzu Compact Dry plates
- Optimized operating costs: no expensive supporting equipment needed (incubator, autoclave, cleanroom), reducing labor and handling time.
- Increased productivity and testing efficiency: multiple samples can be processed at once, with a simple workflow and easy staff training.
- High reliability: the plates are manufactured to the ISO 11133 standard, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and clear traceability.
- Flexibility: suitable for many sample types – food, water, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,...
- Environmentally friendly and easy to dispose of after use: does not generate much plastic waste or hazardous solutions.
4. Process diagram for using Shimadzu Compact Dry plates
5. Practical applications of Shimadzu Compact Dry plates
- Food industry: testing total bacterial count, coliform, E. coli, mold...
- Drinking water and domestic water: rapid determination of indicator microorganisms.
- Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals: cleanliness assessment and routine microbiological testing.
- Environmental hygiene testing: sampling from the surfaces of equipment, machinery...
6. Certification of Compact Dry plates
Shimadzu Compact Dry plates are not only a time- and cost-saving solution, but also a modern, accurate tool for microbiological testing laboratories. With many outstanding advantages over traditional methods, this is a smart choice for manufacturing, testing, and quality control organizations moving toward standardization and workflow optimization.
👉 See the article Shimadzu's Compact Dry plates | An effective solution for microbiological testing