What's in a name? How important is microbial identification, and how can laboratories obtain the fast and accurate results they need? Proper identification remains fundamental to quality control microbiology, requiring robust systems from specimen collection through final analysis.

Specimen Collection and Transport Excellence
Puritan® transport systems provide comprehensive solutions with multiple media options, including dry transport and liquid formulations. These systems preserve specimen integrity during transit, ensuring accurate downstream identification processes.

In our expert insight series, we discover from Charles River when laboratories should choose protein-coding gene sequencing over ribosomal RNA methods, which is essential when dealing with closely related species that ribosomal RNA cannot reliably differentiate. This includes complex groups like Bacillus cereus, Burkholderia cepacia, and other taxonomically challenging organisms where species-level identification impacts clinical decisions.

How does MALDI-TOF MS compare to traditional biochemical identification methods? MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry delivers significantly faster results over traditional methods. It demonstrates better accuracy for stressed environmental strains and provides consistent, objective results that reduce operator variability. Pharmaceutical quality control workflows are transformed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, as demonstrated by the VITEK® MS PRIME. Real-world applications at facilities like ACM Pharma showcase the system's ability to handle stressed environmental strains while maintaining the speed and reliability that modern laboratories demand.

Are traditional culture methods still necessary with advanced molecular techniques? Many identification workflows benefit from combining rapid molecular screening with selective culture media. For example, specialised identification systems like Microgen Listeria-ID enable laboratories to properly identify and differentiate Listeria species in food and environmental samples, providing complete identification capabilities without requiring additional materials.

The FDA's recent approval of Bruker's advanced MALDI Biotyper® features further validates this technology's clinical importance, with an expanded reference library now encompassing 549 clinically validated microbial species across gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, anaerobes, and yeasts.

Next-generation sequencing platforms offer comprehensive genomic solutions for unknown bacterial and fungal isolates. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) serves as the ideal starting point when traditional identification methods fall short, providing complete genetic profiles that enable definitive species-level identification. Automated NGS platforms now deliver next-day identification directly from extracted DNA of specimens collected from normally sterile body sites, including cerebrospinal fluid, blood, tissue, and synovial fluid.

Explore the latest microbial identification solutions here in this rapidmicrobiology special focus - find the right one for your laboratory's specific application and workflow.

From Guesswork to Certainty: Achieving Species-level Microbial Identification

In microbial identification, even ribosomal RNA gene-based methods can fail when accuracy is most important. In this conversation, Jessica Rayser explores how protein-coding gene sequencing provides species-level accuracy for isolates like Bacillus cereus group or Burkholderia cepacia complex.
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Microgen Listeria-ID: Identification of Listeria in Food and Environmental Samples

Microgen Listeria-ID enables laboratories to properly identify and differentiate Listeria spp. species in food and environmental samples. It is a complete identification system with no additional materials required.
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VITEK® MS PRIME: Trusted Microbial Identification for Pharma QC 

From study results to real-world application at ACM Pharma, VITEK® MS PRIME delivers fast and reliable microbial ID. Its proven accuracy, even with stressed environmental strains, reinforces compliance and boosts efficiency in pharma quality control.
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Rapid Microbial Detection Relies on the Power of Traditional Media

"Rapid" is the buzzword in microbial identification. But these techniques depend on the reliable foundation of traditional prepared media such as AnalytiChem’s Redipor® - a robust, consistent, high-quality range supporting faster, smarter workflows
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Comprehensive Genomic Solutions: Identify Your Microbial Samples with Novogene

If you've isolated a bacterial or fungal strain but are unsure of its identity, WGS is the ideal starting point. Download our new eBook on long-read sequencing applications here.
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Fully Automated NGS Platform Identifies Bacteria and Fungi From Sterile Site Specimens (RUO)

This end-to-end automated solution enables next-day identification of bacteria and fungi directly from extracted DNA of specimens collected from normally sterile body sites, including cerebrospinal fluid, blood, tissue (including FFPE), and synovial fluid.
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FDA Approves Bruker's Advanced MALDI Biotyper® Features - Setting New Benchmarks in Microbial ID

The FDA clearance includes the MBT Compass HT CA software and MBT FAST™ Shuttle US IVD (Claim 7), as well as a major expansion of the FDA-cleared reference library (Claim 8), now encompassing 549 clinically validated microbial species across gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, anaerobes and yeasts.
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Collect, Stabilize, and Transport Your Specimen to the Lab with Puritan®

Collect and Transport with Puritan® well-known as the swab experts, Puritan not only has many options for specimen collection, but also has many media and transport options. Including dry transport and liquid media to protect and preserve your specimen.
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Molecular Serotyping for Salmonella Identification

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cites Salmonella as the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness. Bio-Rad's XP-Design Assay Salmonella Serotyping Solution improves food safety by rapidly detecting and precisely characterizing Salmonella spp. in food and environmental samples.
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Enterolert-DW: Now Recognised as ISO 7899-3

The IDEXX Enterolert-DW method has been officially published as the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Standard 7899-3:2025 (ISO 7899-3:2025) for the rapid enumeration of intestinal enterococci in drinking and bathing water (fresh and marine).
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