Detection of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli is arguably the most complex microbiological analysis at the moment (in food microbiology!). After explaining what STEC is, why they are complicated to detect, and how to choose the most suitable method for your lab, here is the final step: A selection of 6 reliable PCR methods to detect […]
We all know how difficult and laborious it is to validate a sterility test for a rapid microbiological method. So, we wondered how a microbiological sterility test is validated using the compendial method (also known as the traditional method). To clarify this, we asked several SuperMicrobiologists to explain how the sterility method suitability testing is […]
When a new MD (Medical Device) arrives at a microbiological quality control laboratory, the first step is to validate the conditions of the bioburden analysis. The goal of this “validation” is to define a reliable protocol that will then be applied during routine Bioburden tests. Here is a simplified summary, SuperMicrobiologists style, of the method […]
To be completely honest, at SuperMicrobiologists, our expertise lies more in pharmacopoeia and food microbiology. So, when we were asked about microbiological analyses of MDs (Medical Devices), we were a bit lost. To address this, we reached out to SuperMicrobiologists who specialize in microbiology within the MD field. Here are their insights. What is a […]
The most renowned collection in the world is probably the ATCC (American Type Culture Collection). However, there are many other culture collections type that might be more accessible and affordable. So, can we use strains from other collections? And what are the differences between these collections? This is what we will explore in this article. […]
We were living our lives as microbiologists just fine until one day, a SuperMicrobiologist asked us: “We are asked to use strains with less than 5 passages, but how do culture type collections preserve them for decades?” Anonymous SuperMicrobiologist And since then, we haven’t slept… So, we contacted one of the most renowned strain collections […]
Whether it’s for the ISO/TS 13136 standard or for alternative methods, detecting strains of Escherichia coli that produce Shiga toxins (STEC) is quite a challenge. Here’s why. Content : What is a STEC? We wrote a complete (and simple) article on the definition of STEC. But in summary a STEC is an Escherichia coli with […]
The detection of Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) may be one of the most complex topics in food microbiology at the moment… and that’s exactly what makes it exciting. The aim of this article is to explain as simply as possible what STEC is, what the regulations are, but most importantly, how to detect them in […]
There are fewer than ten validated methods for detecting pathogenic STEC in foods… but that doesn’t make the choice any easier. Some of these methods will be more or less suited to your matrices and your laboratory. It’s therefore important to fully understand the stakes before diving into one technology or another. The goal of […]
While writing our articles on STEC, we quickly realized that there were many acronyms and abbreviations. Even ourself were a little bit lost. So, we decided to build a glossary, and because we don’t like to keep things to ourselves, here it is: AEEC: Attaching and Effacing Escherichia coli are strains of E. coli possessing […]
