The Diagnostic Microbiology Laboratory (DML) routinely performs a variety of procedures to isolate and identify important pathogenic bacteria and fungi from wildlife. Microbes are identified based upon morphological characteristics, biochemical/physiological properties, molecular assays (e.g., PCR), and DNA sequence analysis.
DML Capabilities
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.
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:
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
- 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
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.
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:
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
- 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.