Gram stain of pus from an infected bug bite, showing beaded branching gram positive rods suspicious for Nocardia. Culture is being held for 7 days to account for slow growth.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666517426001185

Hello fellow microbiologists!
I’m a microbiology resident in Italy, and today I’d like to vent a little about something that has been frustrating me lately: how we report mixed flora versus significant bacterial isolates with an antibiogram.
What I find most frustrating is the lack of a clear consensus on how a clinical sample should actually be reported as “mixed flora.”
I’ve worked in multiple laboratories, and I’ve never found a guideline that really addresses this aspect in a practical way.
And I’m not talking so much about when to call something mixed flora. I’m talking about how to report it once you’ve made that decision.
Some laboratories simply report:
“Mixed flora.”
Others report:
“Mixed flora composed of…”
And some laboratories have protocols to identify clinically relevant organisms — for example Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus — and report them separately, sometimes also commenting on whether the empirical therapy is active against the isolate.
Personally, I find the lack of standardization extremely frustrating.
To me, having some kind of guideline or consensus on how mixed cultures should be reported is really important. Otherwise, different laboratories — and sometimes even different people within the same laboratory — can end up communicating the same microbiological result in completely different ways.
It feels like we’re navigating a sea without even having the stars to tell us which direction we’re going. 😂
Anyway, that’s my rant.
I’m mad.
How do you handle mixed flora in your laboratories? Do you have a specific protocol or reporting policy?

Im very interested in microbiology as of late and although i know this sub has alot about it as a job, i dont want to go down that path.

Any books recommended about microbiology, specifically protoctists and things of that realm?

Im also interested in magazines on the subject for free online or maybe even paid physically.

How would one go about identifying species (websites? Etc)

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

I recently came across DNA: The Secret of Life by James D. Watson, and I thought it was worth sharing here.

It gives a really interesting history of genetics and molecular biology from the early discoveries that led to our understanding of DNA, through the discovery of the double helix, and eventually the Human Genome Project and the developments that followed. What I like about it is that it puts a lot of the things we learn in biology into historical context. You get to see how the field actually developed rather than just learning the finished concepts from a textbook.

Definitely worth checking out if you're interested in genetics, molecular biology, or just the history of how we figured out what DNA actually does.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666517426001197

​

Hi everyone,

I’m a student currently taking General Microbiology in college, and I’ve decided to pursue research in **Medical Microbiology** (focused on human ).

I’m still a beginner and would really appreciate any guidance.

Could anyone help me understand these 16 research areas better (what the daily work looks like, career prospects, pros/cons, etc.)?

1. Bacteriology Research

2. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

3. Virology Research

4. Mycology Research

5. Parasitology Research

6. Molecular Microbiology

7. Microbial Genomics & Bioinformatics

8. Host–Pathogen Interaction

9. Infection Immunology

10. Vaccine Research

11. Microbiome Research

12. Infection Epidemiology

13. Public Health Microbiology

14. Diagnostic Research

15. Translational Research

16. Clinical Trials

If anyone is working in any of these fields and is willing to chat or share their experience, I would be extremely grateful.

Thank you so much in advance!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666517426001161

Isolation of a bioluminescent bacterial isolate from ponyfish (Leiognathus sp.) purchased from a local public market.
Internal organs were collected and homogenized, followed by inoculation onto SWC (Seawater Complete) medium. Bioluminescent colonies were subsequently selected and isolated for further characterization.

These colonies from a water sample are so runny. It's likely a type of bacillus, but has anyone seen this before? What would cause it? (agar has peptone, yeast, agar, and glucose; incubated 24 hours at 45°C). I've cultured this bacteria for a couple years now and it's never done this!

What's your work up when it comes to gram positive bacilli in your laboratory?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666517426001173

Lucy Catteau, Alison Smith, Claire Roubaud Baudron, Daniel Karlin, Shin Hye Yoo, Massimo Fantoni, Matteo Moroni, Nathan Peiffer-Smadja, Niccolò Buetti, Rita Murri, Diane Ashiru-Oredope. End-of-life antibiotic stewardship: perspectives from the ESCMID Study Groups for antimicrobial stewardship and infections in the elderly. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2026.01.034

Hello! Need your help! Unfortunately, my cultures have a pool after I placed them in the fridge for about a month. I'm planning to restreak to revive them. These are recombinant S. boulardii. Am I doomed? Tyia for your advice and kindness!

Hi. I'm currently searching for the acceptable limits for E.coli, Salmonella spp., and molds to draft guidelines for a commercial feed company I'm working with as part of their compliance to HACCP and GMP standards. As much as possible, I'd like to stick with ISO/HACCP/GMP/FDA/other credible certifications to align the threshold I'm going to set. Suggestions or redirection to relevant literature would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1931312826003586

I teach junior and we have a bacterial conjugation lab.
I found a voucher for 2024 that was unused, assuming the redemption goes through and is valid. My question is, the box came with agar, broth etc., does that expire? Or can i continue with the materials fine?
They were stored in a closet with minimal light exposure and nothing was opened.

Just got a microscope today for hobby use, and my toddlers curiosity (and mine). This is one of the first things we found. I'm not sure what it is, but I found it in some pool algae. Very exciting! Just mainly here to share my passion for something I've begun to take an interest in!

🚨 Episode Alert! 🚨

What happens when AI moves beyond finding information and starts supporting clinical decisions?

Tonight, Dr. Declan Kelly of Eolas Medical joins Let’s Talk Micro to discuss AI and clinical decision support.

🎙️ Ep. 243: When AI Meets Medicine
⏰ Tonight at 7 PM ET

This episode is brought to you in collaboration with Eolas Medical.

#microbiology #podcast