RAPID EVALUATION OF VIABLE CELL COUNTS BY USING THE MICROTITER SYSTEM AND MPN TECHNIQUE

A rapid procedure was developed for estimating viable cell counts in bacterial cultures by combining the Microtiter system and Most Probable Number technique. The correlation coefficient of the data between this method and the agar plate method was statistically significant at the 1% level. The advantage of this Microtiter-MPN procedure are savings of time, space, and material. Since the method covers a wide range of dilutions, estimates of cell concentration for proper dilutions are not needed in advance of enumeration procedures. Data are obtainable as early as 6 hr after samples are placed in incubation.