Overview
Microbiology is an essential discipline in Medical Laboratory Science. The diagnostic microbiology laboratory is responsible for detecting and identifying disease-causing microbes in clinical samples and, where appropriate, testing for susceptibility of the microbes to antimicrobial agents. Clinical samples commonly examined in the microbiology laboratory include urine, stool, sputum, skin, cerebrospinal fluid and blood.
The diagnostic microbiology laboratory enables clinicians to make accurate diagnoses and provide the correct treatment for patients, thus saving lives.
Diagnostic techniques
Initially, clinical samples may be viewed under the microscope, following Gram or other staining method, to gain an indication of the types of human cells present (e.g. red and white blood cells) as well as other structures such as fungal elements. Traditional culture methods, where the microbes are isolated in pure culture, and DNA based methods such as the polymerase chain reaction are the mainstay of diagnostic techniques.
In health, humans are colonised by a large number of different species of bacteria and yeasts and considerable skill is required in deciding which microbes are causing infection and which are normally present. Susceptibility testing is routinely performed on infecting bacteria following culture of the organism from a clinical sample. This is achieved by measuring the activity of the antibiotic against the bacteria.
Recent advances in medical microbiology include the use of automated and semi-automated systems.
For example, identification of bacteria can now be performed more cheaply and rapidly with the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, which determines the bacterial chemical 'signature' and compares it to a large database of species.
The Vitek 2 is an automated system for identifying bacteria according to their metabolic characteristics and also determines antibiotic susceptibility.
Hard to grow bacteria and viruses are often detected using PCR, which amplifies a segment of a gene unique to the species.
Microbiology teaching
The teaching you will receive in the medical laboratory science course will provide the background you need to enter the hospital diagnostic laboratory. You will be equipped with knowledge of both disease-causing microorganisms and those present in health. You will be taught the basic techniques required for safe handling of microbes.
You will have the opportunity to culture and identify microbes using a variety of traditional and modern techniques and you will learn how to carry out tests for antimicrobial susceptibility.
Microbiology is an essential discipline in Medical Laboratory Science.
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