Cellular Fatty Acid Analysis by Gas Chromatography (GC-FAME) has been used for over 50 years and is an established method for identifying bacterial and yeast species, as well as for direct fatty acid analysis of food, soil and vegetable oil samples.  The technology has been adopted in a variety of industries, including but not limited to:

Agriculture Research, Animal Science, Biodefense, Biofuel Research, Bioremediation,
Dental Research, Entomology, Fatty Acid Analysis, Food Analysis, Marine Science, Medical Research, Nutraceutical QC, Pharmaceutical QC, Plant Pathology,
PLFA/Soil Science, Taxonomy Studies and Water Quality Testing.

The Sherlock Microbial Identification System (MIS) was launched in 1991 and represents the only commercially-available system that uses GC-FAME technology.

The Sherlock MIS represents a rapid, accurate and comprehensive solution for the identification of over 1,500 microbial species by GC-FAME analysis. The Sherlock MIS
is recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the identification of aerobic bacteria (NIOSH # 0801) and is an AOAC® Official MethodSM
for the identification of Bacillus anthracis, the anthrax pathogen (AOAC # 2004.11).

In addition to ID, the Sherlock Software contains analysis tools (2-D Plot, Dendrogram, Library Generation and Tracker) which can be used for soil / PLFA community analysis, strain tracking purposes and for custom library generation.

The Sherlock MIS was created by microbiologists for use by microbiologists,
so no GC experience is necessary.

A new sample preparation method released in 2007, called Instant FAMETM, allows for rapid identification of aerobes and yeast in less than 15 minutes from pure cultures.
In June 2009, MIDI released an Instant method for anaerobes, called Instant
AnaerobeTM, which takes 15 minutes to identify anaerobes from pure culture*. 

What makes the Sherlock MIS unique is that all microbes are analyzed using the same procedure, with no offline tests, gram stains or biochemical cards required. The system is U.S. FDA 21CFR Part 11 compliant and validation packages are available for regulated industries.

Key Features of the Sherlock MIS with Instant Methods:

• Rapid ID in less than 15 minutes
• $6.00 to $7.00 USD per test
• Automated analysis and naming
• Same procedure for bacteria and yeast
• No Gram stains or biochemical cards used
• Comprehensive data analysis tools
• Proven reliability and warranty
• Results can be combined with DNA Sequencing Results
  

*Note Instant methods are not available in all countries.  Contact MIDI for further information on which sample preparation method is available in your country.

For research use only.  Not for diagnostic use.