Infection - Antiviral & Antimicrobial Testing

Selvita’s microbiology group is working with bacteria and viruses in BSL2 laboratories.

We provide antimicrobial in vitro assays on bacteria from our strain collection:

• >2,000 bacterial strains and clinical isolates
• Access to clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens
• Different resistance mechanisms against various antibiotic classes

We offer:

• Antibacterial susceptibility testing (MIC, MIC50, MIC90 and MBC) compliant with CLSI and EUCAST guidelines
• Tailor-made assays for non-conventional compounds/agents or with clinical isolates provided by clients
• Cytotoxicity assay against eukaryotic organisms (yeast), rodent and mammalian cell lines
• Time-kill studies
• Single- and multi-step resistance development propensity
• Synergy testing of drug combinations (FIC index determination)
• Biofilm studies

Antiviral in vitro assays include:

• Testing of anti-viral activity against respiratory viruses (human corona virus, influenza virus rhinovirus)
• Assays in primary cells and tissues to monitor modulation of host response to viral infection (ELISA, Luminex, MSD, flow cytometry, high content imaging)

In vivo models of infection

The models are covering bacterial and viral infections, with localized and systemic infection sites. Screening models such as bacterial sepsis or thigh infections induced by Gram positive and Gram negative ATCC strains or clinical isolates can be effectively integrated with more complex disease models including respiratory, urinary and skin infections.

Bacterial infections

• Models of sepsis in mice (S. aureus, S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii)
• Models of sepsis in rabbits (S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, E. coli)
• Models of thigh infection (K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa)
• Models of respiratory tract infection in mice (S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa)
• Model of urinary tract infection in rats (E. coli)
• Model of skin infection (subcutaneous abscess) in mice (S. aureus)

Models of infection with other bacterial strains of interest can be developed on request.

Viral infections

• Influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934(H1N1) pulmonary infection in mice
• Influenza B/Florida/4/2006 pulmonary infection in mice
• Respiratory syncytial virus-A2 pulmonary infection in mice
• Rhynovirus-1B pulmonary infection in mice

Vaccine research

• Efficacy of test vaccines in models of local (mice) and systemic infection (mice, rats, rabbits) (bacterial, viral)

A variety of administration routes and dosing regimens are available for compound testing, as well as vaccine efficacy assessment. For all infection models developed and validated in mice, rats and rabbits, a wide range of read-outs can be selected and flexibly combined:

• CFU counts or viral titers
• Survival rates
• Disease clinical scores
• Inflammatory mediators
• Hematology
• Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis
• Histopathological assessment (score, IHC/digital image analysis; IF/ISH)

For more information on our Antiviral & Antimicrobial Testing and models please contact us.