Microbiology time

The first Microbiology Time of the summer is out! Check the top three studies of the month:

  • The first is an exciting paper on yeast identification by Colibrí, our solution for automated colony picking and preparation of MALDI-TOF target plates. The researchers validated the system for yeast identification, selecting 55 Candida strains to be processed with WASPLab and comparing Colibrí with manual MALDI-TOF target plate preparation. Observing a good agreement between Colibrí and the manual reference method, the researchers indicate Colibrí as a reliable system for MALDI-TOF target preparation for yeast identification, allowing increased standardization and reduced hands-on time.
  • The second study, published in Nature Communications, evaluates reservoirs of AMR organisms on environmental surfaces, patient feces, and patient blood infections from an established and a newly built intensive care unit. Dr. Sukhum et al. used selective culture to recover AMR organisms to perform AST and whole genome sequencing on recovered isolates. Sink drains were the most contaminated surfaces in the environment, with aeruginosa being the most frequent organism, suggesting reservoirs in hospital environments as an important target for infection prevention in hospitalized patients.
  • The last study – published by a Caribbean/Dutch team – analyzed the prevalence of CT/NG infections in women with imminent preterm delivery on the Curaçao island. The group assessed a prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection of 15.5% and Neisseria gonorrhoeae of 2.1%, with all patients infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae being co-infected with Chlamydia trachomatis. Due to this high prevalence of CT/NG, the researchers recommend testing all patients with imminent preterm delivery for these STIs, and possibly consider testing all women in early pregnancy on the island.

Read the complete studies below: