Jim Campanella writes,
<I teach a laboratory class in bacteriology for undergraduates. Near the
end of the class, I have them doing identifications of bacterial unknowns
using the standard "traditional" methods that we all learned. After they
were done with their initial identifications last year, I had them use
the Biolog plate system to do quick re-identifications using modern
laboratory methods along with computer analysis. My problem is that I was
very unhappy with the Biolog system; it was unable to clearly identify
some bacterial strains that the students named easily using the older
morpho/physiological methods. My question is: does anyone have any
recommendations for more accurate test systems that I can have my
students perform for bacterial identification? Does any company make
anything more accurate then Biolog plates or is that the height of
technology?>
Bio-Merieux makes the Vitek, which I'm personally fond of. That company
also makes API strips, which are probably cheaper to buy, but I like the
Vitek better than the API strips. I've never used Biolog myself, though,
but recently I interviewed for a microbiology position at a contract
testing lab where they used Biolog. My interviewer said he thought that
the Biolog had the same accuracy as the Vitek, the difference between
them being that Biolog identifies the organism based on carbon source
utilization, whereas Vitek uses biochemical tests. Both Vitek and Biolog
are pretty popular in the "modern laboratory environment" - in my
observation, Vitek is a little more popular of the two.
If I may mention it, though - in spite of my enthusiasm for the Vitek,
even that doesn't give clear ID's 100% of the time. And sometimes, it
does give what appear to be clearcut ID's, until you remember what you
had on the plate, i.e., what it looked like, where you isolated it from,
what selective media it grew on, etc., so the ID doesn't make much sense.
So keep on teaching your "old fashioned" bacteriological methods, because
even with only five years of experience working in professional micro
labs, I can tell you that there will be times your students will need
them. :-) In the "modern laboratory," identification systems should
really be used to confirm what you the scientist, based on "traditional"
knowledge, your estimate of the organism ID, rather than simply taking
the printout of a Vitek as the "word of gospel" without question.
Infectionately,
Yersinia.
Mycelium is Yourcelium. :-)
