Microbiology Testing

Services providing microbiology testing are vital for many industries. Microbiology is the study of microbes or micro-organisms. These include bacteria, parasites, fungi, enzymes, viruses and algae. Some are helpful to humans, but others can adversely affect products, processes and ultimately human health. Microbiology testing therefore seeks to identify and allow for the eradication of those micro-organisms that may cause disease and illness, like E.coli, tetanus and botulism; or cause contamination in otherwise sterile environments. Testing is carried out under laboratory conditions. Tests might include assessments of microbial contamination in a product; confirmation of antimicrobial activity; and microbiological challenge testing, which analyses the behaviour of particular organisms if they are present in a product. For clients, microbiology testing services can improve or safeguard product quality, thereby increasing consumer confidence. There are many different branches of microbiology and therefore many applications for microbiology testing. Different consultancies may specialise in one or more areas of the following, for instance: the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, veterinary medicine, food testing for manufacturers, retailers and the agricultural industry, and/ or in environmental testing (for the presence of microbes in air, soil and water).