microbiology seniors goodbye rap
just a little goodbye to my seniors in microbiology.

By: Sarah Kleven

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microbiology seniors goodbye rap - Video

Public release date: 21-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa jsliwa@asmusa.org 202-942-9297 American Society for Microbiology

Bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin are also commonly resistant to antimicrobial substances made by the human body, according to a study in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Cross-resistance to colistin and host antimicrobials LL-37 and lysozyme, which help defend the body against bacterial attack, could mean that patients with life-threatening multi-drug resistant infections are also saddled with a crippled immune response. Colistin is a last-line drug for treating several kinds of drug-resistant infections, but colistin resistance and the drug's newfound impacts on bacterial resistance to immune attack underscore the need for newer, better antibiotics.

Corresponding author David Weiss of Emory University says the results show that colistin therapy can fail patients in two ways. "The way that the bacteria become resistant [to colistin] allows them to also become resistant to the antimicrobials made by our immune system. That is definitely not what doctors want to do when they're treating patients with this last line antibiotic," says Weiss.

Although it was developed fifty years ago, colistin remains in use today not so much because it's particularly safe or effective, but because the choices for treating multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and other resistant infections are few and dwindling. Colistin is used when all or almost all other drugs have failed, often representing a patient's last hope for survival.

Weiss says he and his colleagues noted that colistin works by disrupting the inner and outer membranes that hold Gram-negative bacterial cells together, much the same way two antimicrobials of the human immune system, LL-37 and lysozyme, do. LL-37 is a protein found at sites of inflammation, whereas lysozyme is found in numerous different immune cells and within secretions like tears, breast milk, and mucus, and both are important defenses against invading bacteria. Weiss and his collaborators from Emory, the CDC, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta set out to find whether resistance to colistin could engender resistance to attack by LL-37 or lysozyme.

Looking at A. baumannii isolates from patients around the country, they noted that all the colistin-resistant strains harbored mutations in pmrB, a regulatory gene that leads to the modification of polysaccharides on the outside of the cell in response to antibiotic exposure. Tests showed a tight correlation between the ability of individual isolates to resist high concentrations of colistin and the ability to resist attacks by LL-37 or lysozyme.

This was very convincing, write the authors, that mutations in the pmrB gene were responsible for cross-resistance to LL-37 and lysozyme, but to get closer to a causative link between treatment and cross-resistance, they studied two pairs of A. baumannii isolates taken from two different patients before and after they were treated for three or six weeks with colistin. The results helped confirm the cross-resistance link: neither strain taken before treatment was resistant to colistin, LL-37, or lysozyme, but the strains taken after treatment showed significant resistance to colistin and lysozyme. (One post-colistin isolate was no more or less resistant to LL-37 than its paired pre-colistin isolate.) Like the resistant strains tested earlier, both post-colistin isolates harbored crucial mutations in the pmrB gene that apparently bestow the ability to resist treatment.

The authors point out that the apparent link between resistance to colistin and cross-resistance to antimicrobial agents of the immune system could well extend to other pathogens that are treated with colistin, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Weiss says he plans to follow up with studies to determine whether this bears out.

For Weiss, the problems with colistin are symptomatic of a much larger trio of problems: increasing levels of drug resistance, cuts in federal funding for antibiotic research, and lack of incentives for pharmaceutical companies to invest in antibiotic R&D. "We don't have enough antibiotics, and it's really important for the research community and the public to support increases in funding for research to develop new antibiotics," says Weiss.

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Resistance to last-line antibiotic makes bacteria resistant to immune system

Public release date: 20-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa jsliwa@asmusa.org 202-942-9297 American Society for Microbiology

Food microbiology laboratories continue to submit false negative results and false positive results on a routine basis. A retrospective study of nearly 40,000 proficiency test results over the past 14 years, presented today at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, examined the ability of food laboratories to detect or rule out the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter.

"There is concern when laboratories report that pathogens are not found in a food sample, when in fact they are there," explained Christopher Snabes, lead author on the study. "This is known as a 'false negative'. Similar concerns arise when a laboratory reports a 'false positive' suggesting that pathogens are in the food sample, when indeed they are not."

The study found that, on average, food laboratories report false negatives of 9.1% for Campylobacter, a bacterial foodborne illness that may cause bloody diarrhea, cramping and fever, and 4.9% for Salmonella, a bacteria that may cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps sometimes leading to hospitalization or death. The false positive rate, on average, is 3.9% for Salmonella, and 2.5% for both E. coli and L. monocytogenes.

This study was conducted by the American Proficiency Institute (API) located in Traverse City, Michigan. API is a private institute that supplies proficiency testing programs for food laboratories and clinical laboratories.

API offers proficiency testing (PT) as an objective method for measuring the accuracy of a laboratory. Participants use API PT up to three times a year to examine the accuracy of their laboratory personnel and their testing methods. The purpose of PT is to determine if the laboratory professional can properly respond to API with correct answers as to what API places in a food sample. PT may test for presence or absence of a substance in a qualitative test, and sometimes PT may require an enumeration response, or quantitative test.

Currently, food laboratories are not required to assess the accuracy or quality of their tests. Laboratories that utilize API PT are doing so voluntarily. Some laboratories use API services to obtain and maintain accreditation. API food microbiology PT programs are used by over 700 food laboratories in 43 countries.

Proficiency testing is an objective means for measuring laboratory accuracy. "Improved accuracy in our nation's food laboratories will lead to a safer food supply," noted Snabes.

The Food Safety Modernization Act, passed in 2011, included sweeping changes to the country's food safety requirements. Model laboratory standards and laboratory accreditation are addressed as important components of the law. Once rules are promulgated, it is anticipated that all food laboratories will need to ensure that their personnel, and the test methods they use, are in compliance with the law. Yet, food laboratories may start using proficiency testing now to help ensure a safer food product.

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Food laboratory accuracy remains a concern

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Today at American Society for Microbiology conference, award lecturer Dr. Christine Ginocchio discussed Specific Technologies blood culture system as an upcoming solution for rapid identification of microorganisms producing bloodstream infection. Dr. Ginocchio is the Senior Medical Director and Chief of the Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics at North Shore-LIJ Health System, the nation's 2nd largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian health system.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130520/CG16829)

At the BD Award for Research in Clinical Microbiology presentation "Rapid Detection and Identification of Blood Stream Pathogens" Dr. Ginocchio described the groundbreaking Specific Technologies solution that identifies microorganisms during culture. Current standard practice requires completion of a blood culture and then requires additional time consuming and expensive molecular or chemical analysis. The Specific Technologies solution has demonstrated detection of infection and identification of species in blood culture 4-fold faster than the industry standard technology leading to early intervention that can save lives, with less lab labor and no additional instruments.

Bloodstream infection causing sepsis is the 10th leading cause of death, responsible for 11% of ICU admissions, with a mortality rate estimated at 28% to 50%, adding up to $50K costs per patient. To determine blood infection worldwide more than 150 million blood cultures are performed annually. Time is of the essence, survival rates decrease every hour without effective antibiotic treatment. Current blood culture practice typically takes 2 to 3 days before results can guide the effective antibiotic choice.

Dr. Ginocchio remarked, "During growth in culture bacteria produce small molecule volatile metabolites unique to their species and strain. The Specific Technologies system for identifying the microorganism from its metabolomic signature is an exciting new technology that can save precious hours critical to effective treatment of bloodstream infection causing sepsis."

Ray Martino a founder and COO of Specific Technologies, commented, "Current blood culture systems can only indicate the presence or absence of bacteria, with no information regarding ID. Not only does the Specific Tech system provide ID during culture but analytical studies have shown ID is provided more than 20% faster than current systems simply detect a positive presence."

Mr. Martino continued "We appreciate the consideration of Dr. Ginocchio a widely recognized expert in microbiology and infectious disease attested to by her track record of research and clinical leadership and advisory positions to the FDA, NIH, and IDSA, her grants, and her invited talks."

About Specific Technologies

Specific Technologies has developed in vitro diagnostic systems for rapid identification of microorganisms to diagnose infections that lead to serious medical conditions including sepsis. The company's unique, patented, metabolomic signature technology identifies microorganisms during culture growth before existing technologies based on molecular or chemical tests can be deployed resulting in faster diagnosis with less labor and no additional instruments. Specific Technologies is located in Mountain View, CA.

For additional information on the Company, please visit http://www.specifictechnologies.net .

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Specific Technologies Bloodstream Infection Identification Solutions Discussed at the American Society for ...

Regulatory News :

A major player in the field of in vitro diagnostics and world leader in industrial microbiology, bioMrieux (Paris:BIM) has announced the appointment of Nicolas Cartier as Corporate Vice President, Industrial Microbiology Unit, effective starting today.

Before joining bioMrieux, Nicolas Cartier, spent most of his professional career at Sanofi. Since 2009, he has been General Manager of Sanofi France, the Groups second largest affiliate. Prior to that, he gained 10 years international experience through various roles in particular in Thailand, where he was in charge of commercial development for the Southeast Asia region within the Animal Health Division, in Shanghai, where he headed up Sanofi Chinas Pharmaceutical Division and in Mexico City, where he was General Manager of Sanofi Mexico. In France, Nicolas Cartier was Chief of Staff in the office of the Chairman and CEO of Sanofi France and then Business Unit Manager.

Nicolas Cartier will be a member of bioMrieuxs Management Committee, reporting directly to Jean-Luc Belingard, Chairman and CEO of bioMrieux.

"I am delighted to welcome Nicolas Cartier, said Jean-Luc Belingard. "He will successfully pilot our ambitious strategy in industrial microbiology, one of our most promising fields of specialization. His international experience and his knowledge of the pharmaceutical sector will represent valuable assets, enabling bioMrieux to meet the current challenges our customers have to face in industry in order to guarantee the safety and quality of their agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products worldwide.

With over 20 years expertise in industrial microbiological control, bioMrieux provides diagnostic solutions for customers in the agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In 2012, the Company launched a new veterinary diagnostics activity with the aim of developing solutions to combat animal diseases and zoonoses while contributing to the prudent use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine. Today, bioMrieux offers the largest microbiological control product range on the market, and industrial applications account for more than 20% of the Groups business. Over 200 employees* contribute to building the success of the Industrial Microbiology Unit, which combines research and marketing activities to ensure the competitiveness of our commercial offering and support the development of the laboratories we serve.

* full-time equivalent

About the Industrial Microbiology Unit:

bioMrieux offers the broadest range of solutions for industrial microbiological control with both manual and automated methods to provide rapid, reliable results for the agri-food, biopharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. This range provides solutions to cover every step of microbiological analysis, from sample preparation through to final microorganism identification.

About bioMrieux

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Nicolas Cartier Appointed Corporate Vice President, Industrial Microbiology Unit of bioMérieux