Pace Launches Three-Business-Day Culture-Based ‘L. pneumophila’ Testing
Service uses Diamidex's MICA® Advance technology to provide culturable L. pneumophila results within three business
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Service uses Diamidex’s MICA® Advance technology to provide culturable L. pneumophila results within three business days while traditional culture testing continues.
PITTSBURGH, PA / ACCESS Newswire / November 9, 2026 / Water management professionals can receive earlier information about viable Legionella pneumophila through a new Pace® Building Sciences service that pairs Diamidex’s MICA® Advance technology with traditional culture testing. Available initially through the Pace® Pittsburgh Center of Excellence for Legionella Testing, the service provides MICA® Advance results within three business days while traditional culture testing continues for broader identification and more detailed characterization.
“When clients are investigating a potential Legionella concern, waiting for results can slow down decisions about their facilities and operations,” said Seth Gooding, Legionella Program Manager at Pace®. “By pairing MICA® Advance with traditional culture, we can provide viable Legionella pneumophila results sooner to help inform time-sensitive water management decisions, while traditional culture-based methods continue for broader identification and more detailed characterization.”
MICA® Advance combines specialized chemistry, automated imaging and AI-assisted analysis to detect L. pneumophila at the microcolony stage after approximately 48 hours of incubation. Pace® reports completed results within three business days. Potential applications include cooling towers and other non-potable water systems, investigations and follow-up testing, particularly when turnaround time or background organisms can complicate traditional testing.
A new Pace® validation white paper details scientists’ direct comparison of the rapid method with ISO 11731, the current culture reference method, providing additional information for professionals evaluating testing options.
“In our study of 221 real-world water samples, MICA® detected Legionella pneumophila in two days, with results matching the standard ISO 11731 culture method for 98% of samples,” said Rebecca Marino, PhD, Technical Specialist at Pace®. “That allows us to provide rapid method results within three business days rather than seven to 10 days, giving facility teams earlier information to guide their response to potential risks.”
Learn more about the service, access the Pace® validation white paper and explore testing options here
Pace® is a portfolio company of Leonard Green & Partners and Los Angeles-based Aurora Capital Partners.
ABOUT PACE®
Pace® makes the world a safer, healthier place. Committed to advancing the science of businesses, industries, consulting firms, government agencies, and others, Pace® offers local-level service backed by a national laboratory network. Through in-lab and emergency onsite services, Pace® ensures our air, water, soil, and more are safe. Pacelabs.com
ABOUT DIAMIDEX
Driven by the mission to make the invisible visible, faster, to make the world safer, DIAMIDEX develops and manufactures the proprietary MICA culture-based platform by combining its own automated equipment, chemicals, and AI-developed software. MICA eliminates human error for highly reliable CFU results, providing fast water and beverage testing solutions to leading laboratories across more than 14 countries. Diamidex.com
Media Contact:
Brooke Schwartzel, Brand & Communications Manager
Brooke.Schwartzel@pacelabs.com
Jennifer Hernández, Corporate Communications Specialist
Jennifer.hernandez@pacelabs.com
SOURCE: Pace Analytical
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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