Diagnostic Microbiology Laboratory (DML)

DML Capabilities

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Diagnostic Bacteriology:

• Routine culture of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria using a variety of standard culture media
• Selective culture for slow-growing or fastidious bacteria such as Mycoplasma, Francisella tularensis (tularemia), etc.
• Identification of bacterial isolates through the use of physiological tests and DNA sequencing
• Identification of unculturable or difficult-to-culture bacteria (e.g., Mycobacterium) in tissue samples by pan-bacterial PCR and DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene
• Detection of Clostridium piliforme (Tyzzer’s disease) by PCR
• Samples suspect for certain organisms such as Chlamydia/Chlamidophila (chlamydiosis), Leptospira (leptospirosis), and Francisella tularensis (tularemia), are submitted to a specialty laboratory

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Diagnostic Mycology:

• Routine culture and identification of filamentous fungi and yeasts using a variety of culture media
• Selective culture for slow-growing and difficult-to-isolate fungi such as dermatophytes, Batrachochytrium (chytridiomycosis), Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (snake fungal disease) and other reptile-infecting fungi, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (white-nose syndrome), etc.
• Identification of fungal isolates based on morphology and DNA sequencing
• Identification of unculturable or difficult-to-culture fungi in tissue samples by pan-fungal PCR and DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA gene complex
• Detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (chytridiomycosis) by real-time PCR
• Detection of Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (snake fungal disease) by real-time PCR
• Detection of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (white-nose syndrome) by real-time PCR

Microbial Toxins:

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• Identification of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin types C and E using the mouse protection assay

Additional Characterizations of Isolates:

• Strain characterization of bacteria and fungi for epidemiological investigations by multilocus sequence typing
• Identification of Pasteurella multocida non-capsular serotypes
• Identification of Salmonella serotypes is performed by a reference laboratory
• Characterization of novel bacterial and fungal pathogens

Other Capabilities:

• Detection of circoviruses by PCR (see Diagnostic Virology Laboratory (DVL) for additional viral diagnostic tests)
• Confirmation of host-species identity through sequencing of DNA barcoding regions
• Development and optimization of molecular assays for detection of bacterial and fungal pathogens

DML Capabilities

Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. View Media Details

Diagnostic Bacteriology:

• Routine culture of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria using a variety of standard culture media
• Selective culture for slow-growing or fastidious bacteria such as Mycoplasma, Francisella tularensis (tularemia), etc.
• Identification of bacterial isolates through the use of physiological tests and DNA sequencing
• Identification of unculturable or difficult-to-culture bacteria (e.g., Mycobacterium) in tissue samples by pan-bacterial PCR and DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene
• Detection of Clostridium piliforme (Tyzzer’s disease) by PCR
• Samples suspect for certain organisms such as Chlamydia/Chlamidophila (chlamydiosis), Leptospira (leptospirosis), and Francisella tularensis (tularemia), are submitted to a specialty laboratory

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Diagnostic Mycology:

• Routine culture and identification of filamentous fungi and yeasts using a variety of culture media
• Selective culture for slow-growing and difficult-to-isolate fungi such as dermatophytes, Batrachochytrium (chytridiomycosis), Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (snake fungal disease) and other reptile-infecting fungi, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (white-nose syndrome), etc.
• Identification of fungal isolates based on morphology and DNA sequencing
• Identification of unculturable or difficult-to-culture fungi in tissue samples by pan-fungal PCR and DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA gene complex
• Detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (chytridiomycosis) by real-time PCR
• Detection of Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (snake fungal disease) by real-time PCR
• Detection of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (white-nose syndrome) by real-time PCR

Microbial Toxins:

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• Identification of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin types C and E using the mouse protection assay

Additional Characterizations of Isolates:

• Strain characterization of bacteria and fungi for epidemiological investigations by multilocus sequence typing
• Identification of Pasteurella multocida non-capsular serotypes
• Identification of Salmonella serotypes is performed by a reference laboratory
• Characterization of novel bacterial and fungal pathogens

Other Capabilities:

• Detection of circoviruses by PCR (see Diagnostic Virology Laboratory (DVL) for additional viral diagnostic tests)
• Confirmation of host-species identity through sequencing of DNA barcoding regions
• Development and optimization of molecular assays for detection of bacterial and fungal pathogens

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details