Table 1 Bacteria quantification methods
From: A method for high throughput determination of viable bacteria cell counts in 96-well plates
Method | Range of detection | Time to obtain results | Distinguishes live vs. dead | Persisters included in quantification | Applications | Equipment needed | Count affected by minor bacterial clumps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CFU count | Unlimited | Days | Yes | Yes | Determination of absolute bacterial number | None | Yes |
Absorbance | 108–1010 bacteria/mL | Immediate | No | No | Follow growth curves | Spectrophotometer or plate reader | No |
Microscopy | Unlimited | Minutes | Yes, with staining | No | Determination of absolute bacterial number | Microscope | No |
Flow cytometry | > ~5000 | Minutes | Yes, with staining | Yes, if not below detection | Determination of absolute bacterial number | FACS | Yes |
MBRT [2] | > ~107 | Hours | Yes | No (metabolically quiescent cells missed) | MIC and MAC determination | Spectrophotometer | No |
SGT | Unlimited | Hours | Yes | Yes | HTS, persister Quantification | Plate reader | No |