TransPharm Preclinical Solutions performs efficacy testing of novel therapeutics against a wide variety of infections in mice and rats. Historically, analysis of microbial burden has been performed using tissue harvests and cultures, a multi-step method that can take up to 72 hours and often requires euthanizing research animals. However, new technology has been developed which allows for real-time, in vivo visualization of bacteria using a non-invasive 2D imaging system called the IVIS Lumina S5.

When exposed to light emitted by the device, the intensity and location of infections can be observed on a display screen. The device also allows for imaging of tagged therapeutics after dosing, giving insight into drug distribution and pharmacokinetics. This state-of-the-art method provides immediate results and can image up to 5 mice or 3 rats simultaneously. Because the animals are anesthetized and not sacrificed, subsequent imaging gives further insight into infection progression and/or therapeutic efficacy over time. Ultimately, the high-throughput IVIS S5 delivers speeds up the time required to get new infectious disease drugs to market where they can save patient lives.