Sigma-Aldrich to provide certified reference materials to Public Health England

Sigma-Aldrich has signed a deal with Public Health England to provide National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) and National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi (NCPF)-certified reference materials.

The agreement pertains to the manufacture and supply of bacterial and fungal reference materials in Lenticule disc format worldwide for use as controls in food, water, environmental and clinical testing microbiology laboratories.

Each disc consists of a stipulated level of a pure culture of viable bacteria or fungi in a control-dried water-soluble matrix, with strains selected from the NCTC and NCPF collections.

The materials will be produced in accordance with ISO Guide 34 and individually packed by Sigma-Aldrich for customer convenience.

Trevor Jones, vice-president for the Sigma-Aldrich analytical business, said: "The addition of these certified reference materials supports our aim to offer a broad portfolio of products that accelerate customers' confidence in the quality and accuracy of analytical data."

Sigma-Aldrich is in the last stages of finalising its acquisition by Merck KGaA, a deal that was agreed last September.