Patent ID: 7374904
Filing Date: 2008-05-20
Classification: C12N,Y02A

Abstract:
1. A process for forming a solid product containing a defined small number of a viable bacteria, the process comprising: providing bacteria in suspension; selecting a defined number of the bacteria of between 5 and 1000 in a drop using a flow cytometer to sense a bacterium; adding the drop containing the bacteria to liquid nitrogen to form a frozen ball containing the defined number of the bacteria; and subjecting the frozen ball to freeze-drying to form a substantially dry solid product containing the defined number of the bacteria, wherein the product is capable of being transferred between containers in its solid form without loss of the bacteria, and wherein the product is capable of releasing the defined number of viable bacteria in a liquid, and wherein the defined number of the bacteria in the product when measured in two or more replicates is within a standard deviation of less than about 10% of the desired number of bacteria.