Applitek EZ-ATP® Online Analyzer

ATP is the "energy currency" of all living cells and degrades rapidly when a cell dies. Because of this property, ATP serves as a biomarker for living organisms in a sample and can be used to quantitate the live microbes present.

Many living organisms, including fireflies, release light energy from chemical reactions. These reactions are catalyzed by proteins in the cell called luciferases, and they require oxygen, ATP and a luciferase substrate. The bioluminescent reaction can be harnessed to detect the required components (such as ATP) in the environment. 

Most common methods for detecting microbes in water measure biofouling potential (TDC, AOC or BDOC) or the development of biofouling (pressure drop or BFR). Heterotrophic plate counting directly measures viable microbes, but it is slow and detects less than 10% of viable bacteria. Flow cytometry and PCR improve turnaround time and accuracy but neither method directly measures live bacteria. ATP detection is the only method that directly assesses living cells from any type of microbe, providing an immediate indication of microbial contamination in your sample.

No. ATP analysis detects the presence of living organisms, but does not identify the species. It can be used as an early detection system, and if a bioluminescent signal is detected, other methods, such as PCR or NGS, may be used to identify the specific organism.