An Assessment of the Microbiology of Hand Contact Surfaces in the Retail Environment

This study aimed to assess the microbiology of food and hand contact surfaces in the retail environment and the potential for these surfaces to act as vehicles for the spread of foodborne pathogens. During the survey, 10 stores in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) were visited by student Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) who took swab samples from four surfaces: conveyor belts, long-life shopping bags, shopping trolley handles and keypads on card payment units. The swab samples were examined for the presence of the pathogens Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria. The Aerobic Colony Counts, as well as the levels of E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae, were also determined. In addition, structured questionnaires were used with retailers to establish the stores’ regimes for the cleaning of conveyor belts. Similarly, shoppers donating their long-life shopping bags for sampling were questioned about how they normally use these bags, and the results were compared with those from the microbiological survey. The results indicated that the hygiene of the surfaces sampled was good, with Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria not detected in any of the samples, and levels of both Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli were below the limits of detection in all but one sample. Aerobic Colony Counts varied but none of the results obtained would be deemed ‘unacceptable’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ under guidelines for ready-to-eat foods

Where microbiology meets microengineering: design and applications of reporter bacteria.

Bacteria have long been the targets for genetic manipulation, but more recently they have been synthetically designed to carry out specific tasks. Among the simplest of these tasks is chemical compound and toxicity detection coupled to the production of a quantifiable reporter signal. In this Review, we describe the current design of bacterial bioreporters and their use in a range of assays to measure the presence of harmful chemicals in water, air, soil, food or biological specimens. New trends for integrating synthetic biology and microengineering into the design of bacterial bioreporter platforms are also highlighted.

Use of flow cytometric methods for single-cell analysis in environmental microbiology

Flow cytometry (FCM) is emerging as an important tool in environmental microbiology. Although flow cytometry applications have to date largely been restricted to certain specialized fields of microbiology, such as the bacterial cell cycle and marine phytoplankton communities, technical advances in instrumentation and methodology are leading to its increased popularity and extending its range of applications. Here we will focus on a number of recent flow cytometry developments important for addressing questions in environmental microbiology. These include (i) the study of microbial physiology under environmentally relevant conditions, (ii) new methods to identify active microbial populations and to isolate previously uncultured microorganisms, and (iii) the development of high-throughput autofluorescence bioreporter assays

Social wasp species of Mischocyttarus (Phi) related to M. alfkenii (Ducke) and M. paraguayensis Zikán (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae)

Social wasp species of Mischocyttarus (Phi) related to M. alfkenii (Ducke) and M. paraguayensis Zikán (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae). A revision of the taxonomic status and an identification key are presented for species of the genus Mischocyttarus related to M. alfkenii (Ducke) and M. paraguayensis Zikán. Seven new species are proposed in the alfkenii and basimacula groups (M. achagua sp. nov.; M. arawak sp. nov.; M. awa sp. nov.; M. embera sp. nov.; M. muisca sp. nov.; M. uniformis sp. nov.; M. waunan sp. nov.), with five new synonymies [M. mamirauae Raw = M. alfkenii (Ducke); M. alfkenii excrucians Richards = M. flavicornis nigricornis Zikán = M. flavicornis Zikán; M. basimacula superpictus Richards = M. basimacula (Cameron)]. Specific status is also newly recognized for M. trinitatis Richards. Two new species are described in the paraguayensis and bahiae group (M. suzannae sp. nov.; M. tayacaja sp. nov.), while fifteen new synonymies are proposed (M. aracatubaensis Zikán = M. araujoi Zikán = M. costalimai Zikán = M. gilvus Zikán = M. infrastrigatoides Zikán = M. infrastrigatus Zikán = M. infrastrigatus Zikán = M. ornatulus Zikán = M. riograndensis Richards = M. rivulorum Richards = M. schrottkyi Zikán = M. scitulus Zikán = M. similaris Zikán = M. similatus Zikán = M. paraguayensis Zikán). These numbers change the picture of diversity in these species groups, as partly found in Richards's revision, published in 1978, reflecting higher diversity in northern Andean areas than in the Brazilian Atlantic region.

Plant-associated microorganisms: a view from the scope of microbiology

Microorganisms interact with plants because plants offer a wide diversity of habitats including the phyllosphere (aerial plant part), the rhizosphere (zone of influence of the root system), and the endosphere (internal transport system). Interactions of epiphytes, rhizophytes or endophytes may be detrimental or beneficial for either the microorganism or the plant and may be classified as neutralism, commensalism, synergism, mutualism, amensalism, competition or parasitism

Applications of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in clinical diagnostic microbiology.

Until recently, microbial identification in clinical diagnostic laboratories has mainly relied on conventional phenotypic and gene sequencing identification techniques. The development of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) devices has revolutionized the routine identification of microorganisms in clinical microbiology laboratories by introducing an easy, rapid, high throughput, low-cost, and efficient identification technique. This technology has been adapted to the constraint of clinical diagnostic laboratories and has the potential to replace and/or complement conventional identification techniques for both bacterial and fungal strains. Using standardized procedures, the resolution of MALDI-TOF MS allows accurate identification at the species level of most Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains with the exception of a few difficult strains that require more attention and further development of the method. Similarly, the routine identification by MALDI-TOF MS of yeast isolates is reliable and much quicker than conventional techniques. Recent studies have shown that MALDI-TOF MS has also the potential to accurately identify filamentous fungi and dermatophytes, providing that specific standardized procedures are established for these microorganisms. Moreover, MALDI-TOF MS has been used successfully for microbial typing and identification at the subspecies level, demonstrating that this technology is a potential efficient tool for epidemiological studies and for taxonomical classification.