Less than 20 years ago, STIs were at historic lows. Syphilis was close to elimination. In 2021, however, sexually transmitted infections are at an all-time high, yet the importance of prevention and screening seems to have fallen by the wayside….
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In a time when we have come to rely on medical laboratory professionals more and more, we also run the risk of taking their work for granted. Their work is so integral to our health and everyday life that most…
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About every 22 seconds, someone dies from Tuberculosis. As the deadliest bacterial infection worldwide, Tuberculosis causes or contributes to 1-1.5 million deaths per year, recently surpassing HIV as the deadliest single infectious agent. Around ten million people become sick with…
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Although it is largely forgotten today, just five years before the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Zika virus was making headlines. In early 2016, the World Health Organization declared the Zika epidemic a public health emergency, as evidence mounted that the Zika…
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Since we launched our Custom Solutions program for environmental isolates and objectionable organisms in 2011, the most common strains have remained remarkably consistent. Even as the customers we serve (and the products they manufacture) have become increasingly diversified, the top…
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A typical flu season presents significant challenges for medical laboratories with increased demand and pressure for providing quick and accurate diagnostic testing. But what happens when you combine this already demanding time with the global COVID-19 pandemic? No one can…
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The Critical Role of QC in Every Stage of Assay Development and Usage For anyone of us involved in medical laboratory or public health laboratory testing, we understand the critical importance of clinical quality control (QC). With the ongoing fallout…
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Wow! We had record participation for our 2020 #CreepyCultures contest! Thank you to everyone who joined the fun this Halloween. The Microbiologics team was blown away by the amazing creations you submitted and voting was tougher than ever. Congratulations to…
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As the use of cell lines to produce biopharmaceuticals continues to increase, Mycoplasma testing is a growing quality control challenge. Because of its unique properties, Mycoplasma poses many challenges for detection and management. Mycoplasma contamination can spread quickly, yet common…
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For a highly infectious virus like SARS-CoV-2, an inactivated whole virus control is the gold standard for accuracy. For labs that opt for other control formats, synthetic RNA controls can provide many of the same qualities as inactivated whole virus…
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