Aquatic and terrestrial test biota
Aquatic and terrestrial test biota are used worldwide in acute and chronic toxicity tests. These ecotoxicological bioassays provide qualitative and quantitative data on adverse effects from chemicals or environmental pollutants on living organisms.
Microbiotests provides a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial test biota that can be used for standardised and culture-independent toxicity testing , bioassay services, or for other research applications.
The biota can also be used as starter culture to maintain live stocks or as back-up in the culturing facility of environmental laboratories.
Various freshwater and marine organisms are available: daphnia, algae, rotifers, crustaceans, protozoans, macrophytes (duckweed) and higher plants.
The test biota are not provided as living cultures as such, but as dormant or immobilised test species that can be stored for months and activated (= hatched, de-immobilised or germinated) at the time of the performance of the ecotoxicological bioassays.
Depending on the test species we guarantee a shelf life of the biological material up to 6 months
Many of these test species are identical to the test organisms used in standardised toxicity tests.
As an example, the test biota are used to study whole effluent toxicity tests under national permit and regulatory frameworks.
Microbiotests test species
Microbiotests provides following aquatic and terrestrial test biota as described in International Standards and Guidelines for environmental toxicity testing.
| TEST BIOTA | SPECIES | STAGE | METHOD | ORDER CODE |
| Cladoceran | Daphnia magna | ephippia | ISO 6341 OECD 202 OECD 211 US EPA 2021.0 | TB33 |
| Ceriodaphnia dubia | ephippia | US EPA 2002.0 | TB35 | |
| Crustacean | Artemia franciscana | cysts | TB32 | |
| Thamnocephalus platyurus | cysts | ISO 14380 | TB31 | |
| Heterocypris incongruens | cysts | ISO 14371 | TB36 | |
| Rotifer | Brachionus calyciflorus | cysts | ISO 19827 ISO 20666 | TB21 |
| Brachionus plicatilis | cysts | ISO 19820 | TB22 | |
| Prozoa | Tetrahymena thermophila | inoculum | TB11 | |
| Algae | Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata syn. Selenastrum capricornutum syn. Raphidocelis subcapitata | alginate beads | ISO 8692 OECD 201 US EPA 1003.0 | TB41 |
| Phaeodactylum tricornutum | inoculum | ISO 10253 | TB42 | |
| Duckweed | Spirodela polyrhiza | turion | ISO 20227 | TB73 |
| Higher plants | Lepidium sativum | seed | ISO 18763 | TB61 |
| Sinapis alba | seed | ISO 18763 | TB62 | |
| Sorghum saccharatum | seed | ISO 18763 | TB63 |
The intensive culturing of aquatic test organisms and the production of dormant eggs or immobilised test species is one of the key activities and expertise of Microbiotests.
Microbiotests certifies the highest quality of the biological material produced. All test organisms are cultured in-house under strictly controlled conditions resulting in standardised organisms for reliable toxicity testing. Every single batch of test biota is subject to thorough internal quality control screenings and reference tests according to international standards and guidelines to guarantee the biological viability and quality of the test species.
Protozoan stocks
TB11 5 vials with Tetrahymena thermophila (freshwater tests)
Rotifer cysts
TB21 10 tubes with Brachionus calyciflorus cysts (freshwater tests)
TB22 10 tubes with Brachionus plicatilis cysts (estuarine / marine tests)
Crustacean cysts
TB31 10 tubes with Thamnocephalus platyurus cysts (freshwater tests)
TB32 10 tubes with Artemia franciscana cysts (estuarine / marine tests)
Daphnia ephippia
TB33 10 tubes with Daphnia magna ephippia (freshwater tests)
TB35 10 tubes with Ceriodaphnia dubia ephippia (freshwater tests)
Ostracoda cysts
TB36 10 tubes with Heterocypris incongruens cysts
Algae beads / inoculum
TB41 5 tubes with Selenastrum capricornutum beads (freshwater tests) + de-immobilisation medium
TB42 5 tubes with Phaeodactylum tricornutum inoculum (estuarine / marine tests)
Higher plants seeds
TB61 10 tubes with sorgho seed (Sorgum saccharatum)
TB62 10 tubes with garden cress seed (Lepidium sativum)
TB63 10 tubes with mustard seed (Sinapis alba)
Duckweed turions
TB73 5 tubes with Spirodela polyrhiza turions