High-throughput screening assays for antibacterial and antifungal activities of Lactobacillus species

• Antibacterial and antifungal assays have been using individual screening approaches.
• Screening assay using microtiter plates is suitable for every lab.
• 2000–5000 individual interactions can be screened per day.
• Assay is suggested as a primary screening in combination with traditional methods.

We describe high-throughput screening techniques to rapidly detect either antimicrobial activity, using an agar-well diffusion assay in microtiter plates, or antifungal activity using an agar-spot assay in 24-well plates. 504 Lactobacillus isolates were screened with minimal laboratory equipment and screening rates of 2000–5000 individual antimicrobial interactions.