Accurate, reliable AST results across clinical, veterinary, and surveillance domains

Your choice of AST plates or discs will depend on your preferred methodology (broth microdilution or disc diffusion), the level of automation and size of your lab, as well as its intended use requirements (IVD or RUO). You'll also need quality control (QC) strains and plate or disc testing accessories such as broths, media, reagents, and plastics.


AST plate and disc families

Our AST plates and discs are organized into four families. Click a family to view the available plates or discs and select the ones you need based on application, regulatory status, and read method.

 

Tip: If our extensive catalog of standard AST plates doesn’t quite fit your needs, design your own! Refer to the section Design your own custom AST MIC plate on this page. 

AST plate and disc families

AST MIC plates

 

AST discs

Clinical Veterinary Surveillance
Method
Broth microdilution Disc diffusion
Usage
Determine true minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the gold-standard¹ AST system that offers flexible, customizable testing options to accommodate laboratories of all sizes using manual, semi-automated, or automated reading options. Easily perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing with the simplicity and flexibility of disc diffusion. Thermo Scientific Oxoid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Discs are available in a variety of common and specialized compounds and in a range of different concentrations meeting CLSI or EUCAST standards.
Clinical plates include antimicrobics that target Gram negative and positive bacteria, anaerobes, yeast, mycobacteria, and more. Plates are available as IVD and RUO formats meeting CLSI or EUCAST standards. Standard and custom solutions formulated specifically for veterinary microbiology labs. Veterinary plates include drugs that target Gram negative and positive microbes and cover companion animals, bovine/porcine, avian, and equine species. Comprehensive selection of standard plates to comply to global AMR surveillance programs. Surveillance plates include drugs that target Gram negative and positive bacteria and campylobacter.

1. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (2019). Susceptibility testing of infectious agents and evaluation of performance of antimicrobial susceptibility test devices — Part 1: Broth micro-dilution reference method for testing the in vitro activity of antimicrobial agents against rapidly growing aerobic bacteria involved in infectious diseases. ISO 20776-1:2019. Introductory sections and portal


Clinical AST MIC plates

Use our selection tool to choose Sensititre human clinical AST MIC plates for your lab. You can filter the list by application, read method, or use and methodology. Click a plate description for more information or to order; or consult the latest Sensititre Plate Guide.

 

Fluorescent plates marked Autoread can be read automatically using the Sensititre ARIS HiQ and OptiRead instruments as well as by all manual methods. Non-fluorescent plates marked Manual can only be read with the Vizion system, Manual Viewbox, and manually.

 

To view accessories for these Sensititre MIC plates, see the Quality control and AST plate testing accessories sections below.


Veterinary AST MIC plates

Use our selection tool to choose Sensititre veterinary AST MIC plates for your lab. You can filter the list by application, species, or read method. Click a plate description for more information or to order; or consult the latest Sensititre Plate Guide.

 

Fluorescent plates marked Autoread can be read automatically using the Sensititre ARIS HiQ and OptiRead instruments as well as by all manual methods. Non-fluorescent plates marked Manual can only be read with the Vizion system, Manual Viewbox, and manually.

 

To view accessories for these Sensititre MIC plates, see the Quality control and AST plate testing accessories sections below.


Surveillance AST plates

Use our selection tool to choose Sensititre surveillance AST plates for your lab. You can filter the list by application, region, or read method. Click a plate description for more information or to order; or consult the latest Sensititre Plate Guide.

 

Fluorescent plates marked Autoread can be read automatically using the Sensititre ARIS HiQ and OptiRead instruments as well as by all manual methods. Non-fluorescent plates marked Manual can only be read with the Vizion system, Manual Viewbox, and manually.

 

To view accessories for these Sensititre MIC plates, see the Quality control and AST plate testing accessories sections below.


Design your own custom AST plate

Choose from more than 300 antimicrobics to design a Thermo Scientific Sensititre Custom Plate tailored to your formulary, dilution ranges, and application. 

 

Through collaboration with many pharmaceutical companies, the Sensititre System gives you access to the latest antimicrobials and the ability to conveniently update formats. You get relevant results based on real-time resistance trends and local epidemiology, allowing you to effectively manage resistance within your institution.

 

Designing a Sensitire custom plate consists of four simple steps as shown in the interactive graphic. Our team of microbiology experts will guide you through the process, from design to approval to order to delivery.

Choose antimicrobials and dilution ranges tailored to your formulary requirements and local patient or animal populations. 

 

Our team of microbiology experts will guide you through the Sensititre custom plate process from design to delivery: 

Custom plate designs are rigorously reviewed and approved based on quality and regulatory standards ensuring your plate meets your exact specifications and industry standards' guidelines.
 

Our team of microbiology experts will guide you through the Sensititre custom plate process from design to delivery: 

Following approval and receipt of a purchase order, your Sensititre custom plates will be scheduled for manufacture. The typical lead time for manufacture is 10-12 weeks.*
*Minimum order quantity may apply.

 

Our team of microbiology experts will guide you through the Sensititre custom plate process from design to delivery: 

Every custom plate comes complete with the required Thermo Scientific™ Sensititre™ SWIN™ Software script specific to your design to ensure results are reported with correct interpretive criteria. Plates may also be read manually subject to configuration.

 

Our team of microbiology experts will guide you through the Sensititre custom plate process from design to delivery: 

To view accessories for custom Sensititre MIC plates, see the Quality control and AST plate testing accessories below.


AST discs

The disc diffusion method categorizes resistant, intermediate, and sensitive organisms through qualitative results. It also provides a visual indication of inoculum level, presence of contamination, resistant mutants, beta-lactamase activity, and antagonism and synergy between antibiotics.

 

To select Oxoid AST discs for your lab, choose the antimicrobic class below. Click a disc name to order or for more information, such as materials safety data sheets (MSDS) and certificates of analysis (COA).

To view accessories for these Oxoid AST discs, see the Quality control and AST disc testing accessories sections below.


Quality control

You can perform Sensititre quality control (QC) testing with a comprehensive range of microorganism strains recommended by CLSI and EUCAST.

 

Thermo Scientific Culti-Loops are ready-to-use bacteriological loops containing gel-stabilized micro-organisms, which enable quick and safe preparation of ATCC® and NCTC cultures for QC testing. Each loop is individually packaged in a foil pouch and each pack contains five loops. The Culti-Loops portfolio consist of over 600 strains. 

Culti-Loops containing recommended QC strains for EUCAST and CLSI methods


AST plate testing accessories

Accessories and ancillary products for AST plate testing include a variety of broths, reagents and other products to use with Sensititre plates and instruments.

 

Check the Instructions for use to make sure to use the recommended broth for the AST plate you’re testing. 

Broths and media
Mueller-Hinton, YeastONE, Brucella, and HTM broths and more

 

Plastics
Doseheads, pipette tips, troughs, seals, and more

Reagents and buffers
Gram staining reagents, demineralized water, saline TWEEN, mineral oil, and more

 

McFarland standards


AST disc testing accessories

Accessories and ancillary products for AST disc testing include culture media and disc dispensers to use with Oxoid discs.

 

Make sure to use the recommended medium for the AST discs you’re using. In EUCAST testing, Oxoid Mueller–Hinton Agar was one of six (out of 21) dehydrated agar preparations that “demonstrated excellent performance, with ≥99% of zone diameter readings within QC ranges and ≥70% on target ±1 mm.”²

Broths and media

Mueller-Hinton, Brucella, and HTM broths, veterinary fastidious medium

 

Susceptibility dispensers and accessories

Cartridge containers, disc dispensers, and desiccants

Dyes, buffers, and reagents

Gram staining reagents, alamarBlue dye and demineralized water 


2. Åhman J, Matuschek E, Kahlmeter G. EUCAST evaluation of 21 brands of Mueller–Hinton dehydrated media for disc diffusion testing. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020; 26: 1412.e1-1412.e5. Full text

 

Regulatory status varies by product and region. Please consult selection guides and individual product pages.