Antimicrobial Test Laboratories (ATL) has experienced rapid growth of its virus testing services to match its expanding reputation for rapid study turnarounds, reproducible results and attentive customer service. Virus testing is unique within the laboratory because the presence of viruses before and after treatment with antimicrobials is signaled to ATL scientists by infection and damage to mammalian host cells, rather than growth of bacterial or fungal colonies on agar plates.

“ATL has invested considerable resources to build and maintain the sterile cell cultures needed to propagate and detect viruses for antimicrobial efficacy studies,” said ATL president and founder Benjamin Tanner, Ph.D. “It requires scientific focus and expertise to conduct virological assays in a consistent, reproducible fashion.”

ATL's virology/cell culture unit is directed by Dr. Luisa Ikner, a microbiologist with several peer-reviewed scientific publications and years of virology experience. The laboratory's 15,000+ square foot state-of-the-art facility in Round Rock, near Austin, Texas accommodates the growing demand for its virus testing, and enables it to perform fully-compliant Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) antimicrobial testing for EPA and FDA.

“It has been rewarding for me to see the companies that rely on Antimicrobial Test Laboratories for bacterial and fungal testing put their products to the test against important viral pathogens such as influenza A virus, rhinovirus, and the EPA-mandated human norovirus surrogate, feline calicivirus,” Dr. Ikner added.

ATL benefits from a highly-qualified staff - many of them authors of, or past participants in, peer-reviewed scientific research including:

• Dr. Benjamin Grosse-Siestrup, with a Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases from the University of Georgia
• Dr. Kalpa Mehta with a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Plant Biology from University of Texas, Austin
• Jason Williams, with a B.S. in Microbiology from Texas Tech University.

ATL’s Virucidal Efficacy Test Methods and Services Include:
• Hard Surface Initial and Confirmatory Virucidal Effectiveness Tests to Evaluate Water Soluble Powders/Liquids, Spray Products, and Pre-Saturated Towelettes According to the Latest EPA Product Performance Test Guidelines (OCSPP 810.2200)
• Virucidal Time-Kill Kinetics Studies Using the ASTM E1052 Standard Test Method for Antimicrobial Agents in Suspension
• Standard Quantitative Disk Carrier Method for Virucidal Activity [ASTM E2197-11 (QCTII)]
• Antiviral Activity and Efficacy Testing of Plastics, Metals, and Ceramics (JIS Z 2801, Modified for Viruses)
• Antiviral Activity and Efficacy Testing of Textiles (AATCC 100, Modified for Viruses)
• Custom Virucidal Efficacy Studies Requiring Unique and Thoughtful Experimental Design
• Viral Surface Survival Studies
• Disinfectant Validation Studies Against Viruses.