WATER
WATER MICROBIOLOGY
Read articles about water microbiology from Microbiologics’ experts and other field experts.
11 Pour Plate Method Best Practices
The pour plate method is an economical way for pharmaceutical, contract and even food laboratories to perform tests focused on a specific number of bacteria. The process may seem simple (melt, pipette, pour, swirl, incubate), but errors have been known to occur....
7 Rules to Follow When Writing about Microorganisms
Recalling and pronouncing peculiar microorganism names is a skill every microbiologist has mastered. However, the intricate rules for writing about microorganisms may leave even experienced microbiologists second-guessing how to annotate or spell a strain name. Our...
5 Reasons to Avoid Maintaining Stock Cultures in Your Lab
Are you certain the reference stock cultures you use for quality control are identical to the reference cultures you originally purchased? A study performed by Cross, Russel and Desai examined working cultures from eight accredited microbial testing...
8 Microorganisms that Changed the World
Photo: 1918 flu ward at Camp Funston, Kansas (Source: Wikimedia Commons) Microorganisms triggered many events that drastically altered human history. The most notorious microbes caused mass death and destruction, but they also inspired modern medical advances often...
Water Quality Quiz: How Well Do You Know Waterborne Pathogens?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated August as National Water Quality Month.1 Thankfully, tap water in the United States is safe to drink because water utilities are required to meet the standards set by the EPA. Many people in developing...
Microorganisms You’ll Meet on Your Next Camping Trip
Given the opportunity, I would venture to say most people enjoy spending time outside. This is certainly the case for many microbiologists. Our home state of Minnesota is nicknamed “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” We’re lucky to have many beautiful state parks to spend...
The Great Debate Over B. cepacia Testing: Your Opinions and FDA Recommendations
Last month we outlined the debate for and against requiring B. cepacia testing for all nonsterile pharmaceutical, personal care products and water systems (The Great Debate Over B. cepacia Testing). At the end of the post, we asked our readers what they think – should...
Tiny Pests – Big Problems
Mosquitoes, ticks, Cryptosporidium and Giardia. What do these blood-feeding and internal parasites have in common? All four are found in our home state, Minnesota, and cause diseases that increase with the arrival of warm weather. The Minnesota Department of Health...
The Great Debate Over B. cepacia Testing
To test, or not to test – that is the question. A frequent reason for recalls of nonsterile products is contamination with Burkholderia cepacia, a microorganism capable of causing serious illness in patients with impaired immune systems or chronic lung disease....
Your Spring Cleaning Hit List
Is spring cleaning on your agenda this April? You might be asking, “Who has time for that?” or “Is that even a thing anymore?” Even if you do not perform the traditional spring cleaning ritual, you may want to consider paying closer attention to the following places...
