"A microbiological culture, or microbial culture, is a method of multiplying microbial organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture medium under controlled laboratory conditions."
A study of the various strategies for controlling microbial growth, including physical, chemical, biological, and other methods, as well as an overview of antimicrobial agents such as antibiotics, antifungals, and antivirals.
Microorganisms: The study of bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites, their structures, life cycles, and how they cause infection.
Antibiotics: The discovery, development, and pharmacokinetics of antibiotics, the different types, and how they work to combat bacterial infections.
Resistance mechanisms: The ways in which bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, including intrinsic or acquired methods, such as mutation, gene transfer, and efflux pumps.
Microbial growth and metabolism: The factors required for bacterial growth, including optimal temperature, pH, and nutrient availability, and how microbial growth is controlled by effective antimicrobial agents.
Sterilization and disinfection: Methods for killing microorganisms to prevent infection, including physical and chemical techniques such as autoclaving, radiation, and use of disinfectants, antiseptics, and germicides.
Vaccines: The principles of vaccination, types of vaccines, and how they work by stimulating immune responses to prevent infection or reduce its severity.
Public health and infection control: The importance of aseptic techniques and infection control measures in healthcare settings, including hand hygiene, isolation, and use of personal protective equipment.
Microbial agents in food and food preservation: The role of microbial agents in food spoilage and poisoning, and methods of food preservation such as canning, pasteurization, irradiation, and chemical preservation.
Biotechnology and industrial microbiology: The role of microorganisms in the development of pharmaceuticals, medical biotechnology, and biofuels, and the utilization of microorganisms in industrial fermentation and bioremediation.
Emerging infectious diseases: Current topics such as the emergence of new infections, global spread, and rapid identification and response strategies to outbreaks.
Physical Methods: This type of microbial control involves using physical methods to control the growth of microorganisms. Examples include heat sterilization, filtration, irradiation, and ultrasonic treatment.
Chemical Methods: Chemical microbial control involves using chemicals to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Examples include antiseptics, disinfectants, and preservatives.
Antibiotics: Antibiotics are antimicrobial agents that are used to treat bacterial infections. These compounds target specific bacterial cells and prevent them from reproducing.
Antifungals: Antifungals are agents that are used to treat fungal infections. These drugs work by either damaging the cell wall or inhibiting the enzyme activity of the pathogen.
Antiparasitics: Antiparasitic agents are drugs that are used to treat infections caused by parasites. Examples include anthelmintics, antiprotozoals, and antimalarials.
Antivirals: Antiviral agents are drugs that are used to treat viral infections. These drugs work by inhibiting the replication of the virus within the host organism.
Immunomodulators: Immunomodulators are agents that affect the immune system response to pathogens. Examples include interferons and cytokines.
Natural antimicrobial agents: Natural antimicrobial agents are compounds that are produced by plants, animals, or microorganisms themselves. Examples include essential oils, peptides, and bacteriocins.
Biocides: Biocides are agents that are used to control the growth of microorganisms in non-living environments, such as in water, air, or on surfaces. Examples include chlorine, ozone, and formaldehyde.
Nanotechnology: Nanotechnology involves the use of nanoscale particles to target and control the growth of microorganisms. Examples include silver nanoparticles and zinc oxide nanoparticles.
"Microbial cultures are foundational and basic diagnostic methods used as research tools in molecular biology."
"Microbial cultures are used to determine the type of organism, its abundance in the sample being tested, or both."
"It is one of the primary diagnostic methods of microbiology and used as a tool to determine the cause of infectious disease by letting the agent multiply in a predetermined medium."
"For example, a throat culture is taken by scraping the lining of tissue in the back of the throat and blotting the sample into a medium to be able to screen for harmful microorganisms, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, the causative agent of strep throat."
"Furthermore, the term culture is more generally used informally to refer to 'selectively growing' a specific kind of microorganism in the lab."
"It is often essential to isolate a pure culture of microorganisms."
"A pure (or axenic) culture is a population of cells or multicellular organisms growing in the absence of other species or types."
"A pure culture may originate from a single cell or single organism, in which case the cells are genetic clones of one another."
"For the purpose of gelling the microbial culture, the medium of agarose gel (agar) is used."
"Agar is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed."
"A cheap substitute for agar is guar gum."
"[Guar gum] can be used for the isolation and maintenance of thermophiles."
"[Microbial cultures] reproduce in predetermined culture medium under controlled laboratory conditions."
"[Microbial cultures] are multiplied by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture medium under controlled laboratory conditions."
"[Microbial cultures] are used as research tools in molecular biology."
"[Microbial cultures] can be used to screen for harmful microorganisms, such as Streptococcus pyogenes, the causative agent of strep throat."
"[Microbial cultures] are used as a tool to determine the cause of infectious disease by letting the agent multiply in a predetermined medium."
"The term culture is more generally used informally to refer to 'selectively growing' a specific kind of microorganism in the lab."
"Microbial cultures are foundational and basic diagnostic methods used as research tools in molecular biology."