Analytical Microbiology

Analytical Microbiology focuses on the processes, methodologies, developments, and approaches involved in analytical microbiology, including microbiological, antibiotic, and amino acid assays and dilution methods. The selection first offers information on the theory of antibiotic inhibition zones, microbiological assay using large plate methods, and dilution methods of antibiotic assays. Discussions focus on serial dilution assay, requirements for accurate assay, microbiological assay of riboflavin, laws of adsorption and partition, mechanisms of antibiotic action, and biological considerations affecting the use of statistical methods. The text then ponders on the elements of photometric assaying and automation of microbiological assays. The manuscript elaborates on antibiotic substances, vitamins, and amino acids. Topics include assay organisms, validity, specificity, reliability, and calculation of results of amino acid assays, bacitracin, chloramphenicol, dihydrostreptomycin, erythromycin, neomycin, and streptomycin. The selection is a dependable reference for researchers interested in analytical microbiology.

Analytical chemists in industry are frequently faced with situations where a basic understanding of microbiology would be an advantage, for instance in the analysis of bacteria in food. Microbiology for the Analytical Chemist has been written specifically for analytical chemists who have little or no knowledge of microbiology, but might be required to interpret microbiological results. This book covers a wide range of microbiological situations in analysis. It deals with the question of establishing when a sample is contaminated, the problems of counting and identifying micro-organisms and establishing what effect they will have on the sample. The book examines the microbial contents of water and food. It also looks at the procedures for disinfecting and preservative testing. Traditional laboratory methods are discussed, and new rapid techniques are also considered. Microbiology for the Analytical Chemist is unusual in that it pulls together those aspects of microbiology which are of interest to analytical chemists and explains them at a basic level using practical situations as examples. This book will also be of interest to analytical chemists in academic or industrial laboratories, where there is no fund of microbiological experience to draw on.

The First International Symposium on the Interface between Analytical Chemistry and Microbiology: Applications of Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry was held June 1987 at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, U.S.A. The purpose of the "Interface" meeting was to forge connections between analytical chemists and microbiologists that are using chromatography and mass spectrometry to solve common problems. The goals were admirably fulfilled. Nearly a hundred participants from seven European countries, Japan, and the United States participated in hearing twenty-three plenary talks and thirty-six submitted papers and posters. The papers and discussions displayed the breadth and depth of current research applications and revealed future directions. This book "Analytical Microbiology Methods: Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry" is loosely based on some of the presentations and discussions at the meeting. Each chapter describes specific methodology and applications in the context of the relevant scientific background. The present book continues the theme of an earlier book, "Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Applications in Microbiology", edited by G. Odham, L. Larsson, and P-A. Mardh, published by Plenum Press in 1984.

With the help of leading Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) microbiology specialists in Europe, a complete set of guidelines on how to start and implement a quality system in a microbiological laboratory has been prepared, supported by the European Commission through the Measurement and Testing Programme. The working group included food and water microbiologists from various testing laboratories, universities and industry, as well as statisticians and QA and QC specialists in chemistry. This book contains the outcome of their work. It has been written with the express objective of using simple but accurate wording so as to be accessible to all microbiology laboratory staff. To facilitate reading, the more specialized items, in particular some statistical treatments, have been added as an annex to the book. All QA and QC tools mentioned within these guidelines have been developed and applied by the authors in their own laboratories. All aspects dealing with reference materials and interlaboratory studies have been taken in a large part from the projects conducted within the BCR and Measurement and Testing Programmes of the European Commission. With so many different quality control procedures, their introduction in a laboratory would appear to be a formidable task. The authors recognize that each laboratory manager will choose the most appropriate procedures, depending on the type and size of the laboratory in question. Accreditation bodies will not expect the introduction of all measures, only those that are appropriate for a particular laboratory. Features of this book: • Gives all quality assurance and control measures to be taken, from sampling to expression of results • Provides practical aspects of quality control to be applied both for the analyst and top management • Describes the use of reference materials for statistical control of methods and use of certified reference materials (including statistical tools).

The new edition of the highly regarded laboratory manual for courses in food microbiology Analytical Food Microbiology: A Laboratory Manual develops the practical skills and knowledge required by students and trainees to assess the microbiological quality and safety of food. This user-friendly textbook covers laboratory safety, basic microbiological techniques, evaluation of food for various microbiological groups, detection and enumeration of foodborne pathogens, and control of undesirable foodborne microorganisms. Each well-defined experiment includes clear learning objectives and detailed explanations to help learners understand essential techniques and approaches in applied microbiology. The fully revised second edition presents improved conventional techniques, advanced analytical methodologies, updated content reflecting emerging food safety concerns, and new laboratory experiments incorporating commercially available microbiological media. Throughout the book, clear and concise chapters explain culture- and molecular-based approaches for assessing microbial quality and safety of diverse foods. This expanded and updated resource: Reviews aseptic techniques, dilution, plating, streaking, isolation, and other basic microbiological procedures Introduces exercises and relevant microorganisms with pertinent background information and reference material Describes each technique using accessible explanatory text, detailed illustrations, and easy-to-follow flowcharts Employs a proven “building block” approach throughout, with each new chapter building upon skills from the previous chapter Provides useful appendices of microbiological media, recommended control organisms, available supplies and equipment, and laboratory exercise reports With methods drawn from the authors’ extensive experience in academic, regulatory, and industry laboratories, Analytical Food Microbiology: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in food microbiology courses, as well as food processors and quality control personnel in laboratory training programs.

Analytical Microbiology, Volume II is a six-chapter work that covers the significant changes and improvements made in the theory and practice of analytical microbiology. The first chapter is devoted to the theoretical aspects of assaying of specific compounds. These topics are followed by discussions of the theoretical and practical aspects of diffusions assays, as well as the theoretical developments of photometric methods of assay, including their improvement resulting from automation. A chapter explores the assay methods for various antibiotic groups. Another chapter discusses the advances in assay technology and analytically important interrelations among the folic acid complex. The last chapter describes a simple diffusion method designed for the assay of certain amino acids in a wide variety of samples. This book will prove useful to analytical microbiologists.

Covering the detection and identification of microbes, genetic analysis methods, and the assessment of microbial growth and viability, this text examines up-to-date advances in microbiological analysis unique to food systems. It highlights the advantages of modern techniques used in conjunction with the microscope to achieve rapid detection and qua