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ColorSeed™

ColorSeed® Recovery Standards for Cryptosporidium & Giardia Testing

ColorSeed® is a patented quality control and recovery efficiency standard designed for laboratories testing water samples for Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts. Each ColorSeed® sample contains uniquely colour-labelled organisms that can be distinguished from naturally occurring Cryptosporidium and Giardia, allowing laboratories to accurately measure recovery efficiency for every sample analysed. ColorSeed® is a Certified Reference Material.

Widely used by drinking water utilities, environmental laboratories and public health organisations, ColorSeed® helps improve confidence in water quality monitoring results and supports compliance with recognised testing methods.

Why Choose ColorSeed®?

Recovery efficiency is a critical component of Cryptosporidium and Giardia testing. ColorSeed® provides a sample-specific recovery measurement, enabling laboratories to assess the effectiveness of their testing procedures and improve data quality.

ColorSeed® - Internal quality control for Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts.

Image courtesy: BioPoint^©

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Key features

Measures recovery efficiency for individual water samples
Contains uniquely colour-labelled Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts
Easily distinguished from naturally occurring organisms
Supports quality assurance and quality control programmes
Compatible with recognised water testing methods
Improves confidence in laboratory results
Ideal for drinking water and environmental testing laboratories
Trusted worldwide by water utilities and regulatory agencies

Applications

Drinking water monitoring
Environmental water testing
Laboratory quality control
Recovery efficiency assessment
Method validation & verification
Regulatory compliance

How ColorSeed® Works

ColorSeed® contains a known number of specially labelled Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts that are added to a water sample before processing.

Following analysis, laboratories can distinguish the labelled organisms from naturally occurring organisms and calculate sample-specific recovery efficiency. This provides a more accurate assessment of method performance than traditional quality control approaches.

Suitable For

ColorSeed® is commonly used by:

Water utilities
Environmental laboratories
Public health laboratories
Contract testing laboratories
Research organisations
Regulatory agencies

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ColorSeed®?

ColorSeed® is a quality control standard containing uniquely colour-labelled Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts used to measure recovery efficiency during water testing.

What is ColorSeed® used for?

ColorSeed® is used for recovery efficiency assessment, quality control, method validation, analyst training and laboratory performance monitoring.

How does ColorSeed® differ from EasySeed®?

ColorSeed® contains specially labelled organisms that can be differentiated from naturally occurring Cryptosporidium and Giardia, allowing sample-specific recovery calculations. EasySeed® is primarily used for general quality control and method verification.

Why is recovery efficiency important?

Recovery efficiency indicates how effectively a laboratory’s testing process recovers target organisms from a water sample and is an important measure of method performance.

Can ColorSeed® be used for drinking water testing?

Yes. ColorSeed® is widely used by drinking water laboratories and water utilities to support routine monitoring programmes.

Is ColorSeed® suitable for environmental water samples?

Yes. ColorSeed® can be used with a variety of environmental water samples, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs and recreational waters.

Who uses ColorSeed®?

ColorSeed® is used by water companies, environmental laboratories, public health organisations, research institutions and regulatory agencies worldwide.

Does ColorSeed® support recognised testing methods?

Yes. ColorSeed® is designed to support established Cryptosporidium and Giardia testing workflows and recovery efficiency measurements.

Product Data

Code	Description	Size
Z9CS-CG100	ColorSeed® 100 Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts	10 Vials

Accreditation

BioPoint holds accreditation for ISO 17034: General requirements for the competence of reference material producers. BioPoint has also gained the Certified Reference Material status for the products listed below.

The specific requirements of this accreditation focus on the quality control of the production process and finished product. These are unique to BioPoint and are gained through NATA (National Association and Testing Authority, Australia's accreditation body).

BioPoint ISO 17034 accredited certified reference materials will therefore be able to be used with confidence in ISO/IEC 17025 accredited facilities. BioPoint's ISO 17034 accredited Certified Reference Materials:

EasyStain™ is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for use in Method 1623, UK Drinking Water Inspectorate (UKDWI) and Japanese Water Works Association (JWWA).

BioPoint Certified Reference Material Producer

Discuss Your Water Testing Requirements

Whether you are performing routine drinking water monitoring, validating laboratory methods or assessing recovery efficiency, TCS Biosciences can help identify the most suitable Cryptosporidium and Giardia quality control solution for your laboratory.

Contact our team to discuss ColorSeed®, technical support and water quality monitoring requirements.