We’ve got two exciting microbiome events to look forward to this summer. Our Microbiome Services Manager Julie Mackinnon will be heading to the first networking event of the Microbiome and Infectious Disease (MaID) Innovation Hub on the 8th of July and Brandon Childers is attending the INFORM Hub Summer 2025 event in Reading on 24 June. INFORM was established to unite researchers and industry experts from fields including gut microbiology, food science, nutrition, immune function, mental health and sports science with the aim of delving into the exciting potential of …
Next generation sequencing for analysing bacterial communities – an introduction
Next generation sequencing has transformed understanding of bacterial communities, and in particular the gut microbiome. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly popular in a variety of industry sectors as people begin to understand how they can use the data generated. However, it can be difficult to get to grips with the terminology and processes involved in next generation sequencing, so in this blog NCIMB’s microbiome services manager Julie MacKinnon takes a closer look at the process for analysis of mixed communities of bacteria. The application of next generation sequencing techniques to …
Metagenomics, metataxonomics or 16S amplicon sequencing? An introduction to microbiome analysis.
by Julie MacKinnon, Microbiome Services Manager High throughput sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene has become an increasingly popular analysis in recent years. One of the most high-profile applications of this technology has been in analysing and understanding the human gut microbiome and this is a service that we provide at NCIMB to support our customers’ research and development work. Analysing stool samples may not sound like the most pleasant occupation, but the research being undertaken in this area, for example, in understanding the relationship between microbiome, nutrition and …
Meet us at RMF 2023!
Our consultant Microbiologist Dr Carol Devine will be attending the Reservoir Microbiology Forum (RMF) in London on 15 November. The event is run by the Energy Institute (EI) with the support of a small working group within the EI’s Microbiology Committee, of which Carol has been a member for a number of years. Excellent and welcoming event RMF is an excellent and very welcoming multi-disciplinary platform that brings together oil producers, scientists, technologists, engineers, academics and researchers from around the world to present, share, and discuss the widespread and versatile …
Comparing and differentiating closely related strains of bacteria
Strain comparison and differentiation can be valuable in a range of circumstances. NCIMB’s Identification Services Manager, Vikki Warren takes a look at recent developments in the methods available for doing this and why whole genome sequencing is NCIMB’s preferred approach. Environmental monitoring is an important part of quality control in pharmaceutical manufacturing environments. When it comes to investigating incursions or process contaminants, comparing them to previous isolates and tracing their source, strain comparison and differentiation can provide valuable information over and above species level identification. If several different strains are …
What’s this concoction? The promise and power of metagenomics
At NCIMB, we routinely identify bacteria that have been found in pharmaceutical, food and other industrial production environments. Accurate identification may help the companies involved trace the source of microbial contamination, and confirm whether repeat incidences arise from the same issue. Often these jobs arrive as pure cultures on plates, and we can pick off colonies to isolate the single species present. However, sometimes we’re faced with a more challenging question. For example, we were recently asked to identify the components of …
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