The NCIMB microbial Identification Service provides fast, confidential and credible identification of bacteria and certain common fungi to Good Manufacturing Practice standards. We isolate and identify bacteria from diverse sources, having particular expertise in the environmental and pharmaceutical sectors. Our culture collection provides us with immediate access to a unique source of authentic reference material. We also have access to a number of private collections, ensuring a wide reference base to work with.

We apply three core techniques in identification: Genotypic identification, MIDI andBiochemical examination.

Rapid identification of bacteria and some common fungi can be carried out by sequencing the 16S (or 28S) ribosomal DNA gene.  This technique is ideal for

• Viable and non-viable material
• Organisms with complex growth requirements
• Gram variable isolates

The MicroSeq^TM service includes

• DNA extraction from microbial cultures
• Amplification of the 16S (or 28S) gene by PCR (500bp or full gene options are available)
• Cycle sequence analysis on the ABI sequencer. Systematic double analysis
• Comparison of the unknown sequence with the MicroSeq^TM database
• Public databases (EMBL and RDP) can also be searched
• Customer report detailing top sequence matches and phylogenetic trees

This identification service uses the MIDI Sherlock Microbial Identification System which identifies microorganisms based on the unique fatty acid pattern of each strain. The fatty acid profile is compared against extensive databases which currently contains over 2000 species, including aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria and yeasts. This robust methodology is an excellent technique for comparison and identification of a wide range of isolates, both Gram positive and Gram negative.

Key Features of the MIDI Service include:

• Growth under standard conditions
• Large database of environmental organisms
• Superior identification compared to biochemical test systems
• Strain tracking capabilities

Biochemical tests can target a specific reaction eg. nitrate reduction, protein degradation, growth at high temperatures or give a comprehensive description of the organism's properties which can be important in differentiation at the strain level.

This service can be used as a confirmatory test for MicroSeq and MIDI analysis.

Pure cultures should ideally be supplied inoculated onto solid media and incubated to produce sufficient growth. You can download general information about the Identification Service here, or alternatively, please contact us for detailed advice on the packaging and shipping of bacterial cultures.