tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19255320067811495162017-07-13T01:41:41.688-07:00Microbiology Online is all about great tutorials in industrial microbiology, focusing on pharmaceutical microbiology labs.Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-37675101238365996912010-01-05T14:02:00.000-08:002010-01-05T14:02:54.099-08:00

Generally speaking, fluorescence microscopy is very similar to ultraviolet microscopy. Fluorescence microscopy is based on the property of some substances to produce fluorescence right after have absorbed ultraviolet energy. In microbiology, the microorganisms can be stained with a fluorescent dye, like fluorochrome, in order to produce fluorescent images through UV microscope. The main

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-26620382958275049142009-12-08T14:52:00.000-08:002010-01-05T14:04:42.875-08:00

As already seen in “Principles of Microscopes and Microscopy (Part I)”, light microscopy can be divided into six sub-categories: bright field microscopy, dark field microscopy, ultraviolet microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, phase contrast microscopy and differential interference contrast (D.I.C). The so-called ultraviolet microscopy uses ultraviolet light instead of white, common, light, or

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As we have already seen at part III of this mini-course, in light microscopy, also called bright field microscopy, the object analyzed shows darkened and the surrounding environment shows very bright. In dark field microscopy, the opposite occurs, i.e. the object shows very bright, in contrast with the dark background. In order to fulfill its purpose, the technique of dark field microscopy

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-31070372923614598282009-11-27T16:08:00.000-08:002009-12-02T14:37:42.247-08:00

Light microscopy is the most largely used microscopy technique in microbiology labs. In light (optic) microscopy, the objects studied look darkened and the adjacent area looks very well illuminated. The magnification power of an optic microscope is up to 2000 times. The main difficulty in light microscopy is to obtain a high magnification power along with clearness and image definition. In light

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A primitive microscope was invented in 1590 in Middelburg, Netherlands, by the eyeglass makers Hans Lippershey, Zacharias Jansen and his father Hans Jansen. Further, Galileo Galilei improved the instrument by using a set of aligned lenses and called it “occhiolino”, what means “little eye”. In 1625, Giovanni Faber named Galileo Galilei’s “occhiolino” as a compound microscope and this name

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-70103334317809463692009-11-17T15:19:00.000-08:002009-12-02T14:36:15.456-08:00

The microscope is perhaps the most common equipment in any microbiology lab, since it enables students and professionals to examine organisms and structures invisibles to the naked eye. There are microscopes with several different magnification levels, ranging from hundreds to thousands of hundreds in diameter. Of course, the price of a microscope increases with its quality, but even the

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-23747949174163789292009-11-05T15:18:00.000-08:002009-11-05T15:18:43.428-08:00

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus) is a major and strict human pathogen. It contains a surface-anchored M protein that is essential for virulence and colonization, by inhibiting phagocytosis ex-vivo. Because little is known about the role of Streptococcus pyogenes M protein in vivo, Waldemarsson et al analyzed the contribution of different M protein regions to virulence, using the

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Just two out of the three species of the Staphylococcus genus – S. aureus and S. epidermidis – have medical importance. Staphylococcus aureus is the pathogenic species, while Staphylococcus epidermidis seldom causes human infections, being an opportunistic pathogen in people with compromised self-defenses. Resistance Staphylococci are one of the most resistant non-sporeforming cocci. Some can

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-85298131128727716592009-11-03T15:22:00.000-08:002009-11-25T14:17:15.369-08:00

A recent application approved by FDA enables microbiologists to perform rapid sterility tests, obtaining results as fast as 90 min. This is a stunning advance in the microbiology field, since traditional sterility tests take 14 days until completion. Scan RDI Analyzer is an ultra-rapid microbial control of filterable products, what means that in addition to rapid sterility test, it is possible

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As stated in my previous post “The Importance of Bacteria Identification in Clean Rooms”, we are supposed to identify the flora obtained from environmental samples, and it is not limited to clean room environments. In this post, I am going to focus on bacteria identification solely. There are several methods of bacteria identification available, which can be classified into two large groups:

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-652452282533474272009-10-30T18:00:00.000-07:002009-10-31T06:21:13.046-07:00

The term "probiotics" derives from greek and it was first introduced in 1953 by Kollath. In opposition to “antibiotics”, probiotics means “for life” and was first defined as living organisms which beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance. Today, probiotics are considered to be dietary supplements of live microorganisms which when administered in adequate

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-53514476148057943282009-10-30T15:52:00.000-07:002009-10-30T16:01:10.821-07:00

A recent article featured in FASEB Journal shows that antioxidants, largely found in plant-based foods, might be H1N1 influenza’s Achilles heel, preventing H1N1 virus to invade and colonize our lungs. In addition, the research conducted by Sadis Matalon and colleagues shows that antioxidants can help in the treatment of H1N1 influenza. The researchers discovered that H1N1 virus

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Global Handwashing Day is celebrated on October 15, 2009 but should not be limited to that day. This Handwashing Day is an international campaign, brought to you by the Academy for Educational Development, CDC, UNICEF and several other partners. An American survey conducted on 2007 showed that while nine out of ten (92%) Americans said they always washed their hands after using a public

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-51319543342681301162009-10-12T07:42:00.000-07:002009-10-28T17:05:10.607-07:00

Source: www.gate2biotech.com Fear of pandemic swine flu has heightened public vigilance in the U.S.against seasonal influenza as well, causing vaccine shortages at doctors’ offices, clinics and retail drugstores. Swine flu and seasonal influenza strains, which carry similar symptoms and outcomes, may circulate concurrently in the U.S. for the first time beginning this month,

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-95325758461706472009-10-12T07:39:00.000-07:002009-10-28T17:05:10.607-07:00

A comprehensive environmental monitoring program of clean rooms should include routine monitoring of both viable and non-viable airborne particulates. Although there is no requirement for the bacteria identification of all contaminants present in these controlled environments, an environmental control program shall include an appropriate level of bacteria identification obtained from

Fabio Pachecohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776794781622844009noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1925532006781149516.post-91469296993407260992009-10-12T07:36:00.000-07:002009-10-28T17:05:10.607-07:00

Technically, biofilms are a conglomeration of bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, debris, or corrosion products embedded in a self-produced and secreted matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The EPS can be composed of polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Essentially, biofilm may form when bacteria adhere to surfaces in aqueous environments and begin to excrete EPS, a

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