Microbiological Quality Assurance: A Guide Towards Relevance and Reproducibility of Inocula

Microbiological Quality Assurance: A Guide Towards Relevance and Reproducibility of Inocula sheds light on the difficulties of obtaining results in the test tube that will be reproducible and relevant for a wide variety of tests. This book explores the current state of research in this area and troubleshoots the problems that may be encountered in setting up appropriate cultures. The text divides naturally into three sections-growth conditions, post-growth conditions, and applications. This book serves as a valuable resource for clinical microbiologists, pharmacologists, and anyone doing in vitro experiments.

Growth Conditions
Influence of the Environment on the Properties of Vegetative Microorganisms: An Overview, M.R.W. Brown and P. Gilbert
Introduction
Phenotypic Flexibility
Growth Rate and Nutrient Deprivation
Growth as Adherent Biofilms
Solid or Liquid Culture for Conventional Susceptibility Testing
Conclusions
References
Definition of Phenotype in Batch Culture, M.R.W. Brown, P.J. Collier, R. Courcol, and P. Gilbert
Introduction
Specific Nutrient Depletion in Batch Culture
Defined Nutrient-Depleted Media
References
Changes in Bacterial Cell Properties in Going from Exponential Growth to Stationary Phase, M.M. Zambrano and R. Kolter
Introduction
Changes to Result from Starvation
Regulation of Gene Expression in Stationary Phase
Population Changes during Starvation
Acknowledgments
References
Continuous Culture of Microorganisms in Liquid Media: Effects of Growth Rate and Nutrient Limitation, P. Gilbert and M.R.W. Brown
Introduction
Continuous Culture: Theoretical Considerations
Continuous Culture: Practical Considerations
Modulation of Antimicrobial Susceptibility in Continuous Culture
References
The Influence of Nutrient Environment during Vegetative Growth on the Properties of Bacterial Endospores, P. Gilbert, M.R.W. Brown, I.S.I. Al-Adham, and N. Hodges
Introduction
Sporulation Medium and Definition of Spore Phenotype
Sporulation Temperature
Growth and Sporulation at Various pH
Culture Age Prior to Harvesting
References
Influence of the Environment on the Properties of Microorganisms Grown in Association with Surfaces, P. Gilbert, A.E. Hodgson, and M.R.W. Brown
Introduction
Surface Colonization and Growth
Resistance Properties of Bacterial Biofilms
Influence of Surface Attachment and Growth upon Microbial Activity
In Vitro Models of Biofilms
Conclusions
References
Sources of Biological Variation and Lack of Inoculum Reproducibility: A Summary, M.R.W. Brown, S.F. Bloomfield, and P. Gilbert
Culture Origins
Growth Conditions of the Inoculum
Dormancy
Post-Growth Handling Procedures
Procedure/Test Conditions
Post-Growth Conditions
The Preservation of Inocula, G. Adams
Introduction
Preservation by Cooling
Factors Affecting Survival
Freeze-Preservation in Practice
Freeze-Drying
Factors Affecting the Survival of Freeze-Dried Microorganisms
Lyophilization Damage and Storage Conditions
Changes in the Characteristics of Freeze-Dried Inocula
Alternatives to Vacuum Freeze-Drying
Culture Collection Practice
References
Influence of Post-Growth Procedures on the Properties of Microorganisms, P. Gilbert, P.J. Collier, J. Andrews, M.R.W. Brown
Introduction
Pretreatment Objectives
Methods of Harvesting Cultured Bacteria
Washing and Resuspension of Harvested Cells
References
Applications
Factors Affecting the Reproducibility and Predictivity of Performance Tests, P. Gilbert and M.R.W. Brown
Introduction
Reproducibility and Predictivity of Inocula Grown in Batch Culture
Reproducibility and Predictivity of Inocula Grown in Continuous Culture
Solid versus Liquid Culture
Biofilms or Planktonic Inocula
References
Preservative Efficacy Testing in the Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Industries, R. Baird
Development of Testing Methods
Test Method Limitations
Test Method Modifications
Factors Causing Test Variability
Overview
References
Preservative Efficacy Testing in the Cosmetics and Toiletries Industries, B. Perry
Introduction
European Community Cosmetics Directive
Preservation
Preparation of Inocula
Special Considerations
Concluding Remarks
Acknowledgments
References
Reproducibility and Predictivity of Disinfection and Biocide Tests, S.F. Bloomfield
Introduction
Repeatability and Reproducibility of Disinfectant Testing
Capacity Tests
Relevance to Practice
Application of Laboratory Tests for Approval of Disinfectants
Appendix
References
Reproducibility and Performance of Endospores as Biological Indicators, N. Hodges
Development and Current Status of Sterilization Indicators
Selection of Organisms for Use as Sterilization Indicators
Factors Affecting Biological Indicator Performance
Spore Resistance Resulting from Environmental Influences during Sporulation and Harvesting
Quick-Response Biological Indicators
References
Development and Production of Vaccines, A. Robinson, H.S. Tranter, C.N. Wiblin, and P. Hambleton
Introduction
Variation of Bacterial Composition
Control of Vaccine Seed Stocks
References
Screening for Novel Antimicrobial Activity/Compounds in the Pharmaceutical Industry, P. Gilbert and M.R.W. Brown
Introduction
Screening Strategies
Primary Screens
In Vitro Models for Secondary Screening of Antibiotics
References
Screening for Novel Antimicrobial Compounds/Activity in the Environmental Protection Industries, H. Lappin-Scott, J. Jass, and W.J. Costerton
Introduction
The Industrial Processes
Screening of Antimicrobials for Industry
Test Methods
Concluding Remarks
References
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing within the Clinic, K. Thomson, J.S. Bakken, and C. Sanders
Introduction
The Inoculum
Disc Diffusion Tests
Dilution Tests
Antibiotic Selection and Reporting of Results
Summary
References