It’s by learning from past crises that we can (perhaps) avoid future ones. In this series of articles “Let’s Talk Contamination”, we hope to one day turn into podcasts, we aim to tell you the story of the most significant microbiological contaminations in recent years and any lessons learned (or not). Let’s dive right in […]
Following Francois Bourdichon’s request, here is the super-interesting story of Cronobacter sakazakii. This bacteria was first isolated in 1961. Initially, it was named “yellow-pigmented Enterobacter cloacae“ within the genus Enterobacter. It was not until 1980 that the strain was named Enterobacter sakazakii, in honor of the Japanese microbiologist Riichi Sakazaki. In 2007, DNA-based phylogenetic analyses […]
Sabouraud culture medium is named after Raymond Sabouraud, a French dermatologist , known for his work in mycology . It has an acidic pH and high glucose content, promoting fungal growth while inhibiting most bacteria . This medium remains widely used in microbiology for the detection of yeast and molds. Do you use Sabouraud in your lab?
Ever wondered how bacterial strains get their names? Let’s uncover the story behind these names! We begin with probably the most famous one… Escherichia coli. E.coli was named after Theodor Escherich, a German pediatrician who discovered this bacterium in 1885 . Escherich initially called it “Bacterium coli commune” as he found it in the colon. Over […]
Having an excellent BSC (Biological Safety Cabinet) is very important for a microbiologist. First the Microbiological Safety Cabinet must protect the microbiologist, the sample and the lab environment. Then, as microbiologists we spend a lot of time “in” or close to our BSC, so it has to be “comfortable” and quiet. Last but not least […]
If you need to purchase a Biological Safety Cabinet in the coming weeks, this article is for you! It’s true that we don’t buy a BSC (Biological Safety Cabinet) every day… nor even every year (a good BSC can last 20 years). So, when it’s time to buy a new BSC, it can be a […]
Is your biological safety cabinet (BSC) functioning properly? It means, does it really protect the laboratory environment, the microbiologist, and the sample. To ensure this, it must be regularly tested, and if the filters are damaged or clogged, they must be replaced. We interviewed two specialists in BSC maintenance to better understand the physical tests […]
In recent years, standards have increasingly encouraged food microbiology laboratories to use strains as reference materials. These strains can be used for method verification, culture media performance testing, or technician qualification. In addition to having a significant cost for the lab, these strains are not always easy to manage. Fortunately, there are microbial QC strains […]
In this article, we won’t presume to explain how to use a BSC… We spend more time behind our computers than in front of a BSC. However, during the interviews we conducted to write the series of articles on BSCs, we gathered some tips here and there for “optimizing” the use of our BSCs. Here […]
Our experience shows that there are as many ways to disinfect a BSC (Biological Safety Cabinet) as there are… laboratories. Generally, it is recommended to follow the instructions provided by the BSC manufacturer, but in the real life of a lab, we know very well that (almost) no one reads it, and that’s not good! […]
