The purpose of this project is to produce a complete and thorough notebook that may be used to supplement laboratory coursework. Its intent is to be used primarily by the students to aid them in understanding background information and the proper laboratory procedures involved in various types of experiments. The laboratory notebook is a summation of all the experiments and procedures used in the six-credit hour Advanced Microbial and Molecular Biology (BIOL 5160) course offered during the summer semester at the University of North Texas. This class is a team taught effort by Professors O'Donovan and Kunz. The course is constructed as an intensive practice exercise to teach the student about gene mutations, biosynthetic pathways, preparation and analysis of plasmid DNA, and many other topics included in the notebook.

Very few recent studies have been done in South Africa on the occurrence or prevalence of parasites in humans. Based on the results of routine examinations for parasitic infections conducted in the Microbiology Laboratory of Ampath in Pretoria, this study focuses on the spectrum of parasites diagnosed in samples from humans in Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga provinces between 2009 and 2010. Database searches for results of samples in which parasites were positively identified were conducted using the laboratory’s internal software system. Data of the positive results were exported and sorted according to date, specimen type, parasite identified, patient age, gender and geographic locality. Results showed that a total of 24 different species of parasites were identified in the laboratory over the two-year period. The overall numbers of parasites identified, according to the data searches, were 863 and 1061 in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The following parasites were identified: Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica, Endolimax nana, Acanthamoeba sp, Giardia intestinalis, Trichomonas hominis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Chilomastix mesnili, Blastocystis hominis, Cryptosporidium spp, Cystoisospora belli, Sarcocystis sp, Enterobius vermicularis, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, ancylostomatids (hookworm), Taenia saginata, Taenia solium, Dipylidium caninum, Inermicapsifer madagascariensis, Bertiella studeri, Schistosoma haematobium, Echinococcus granulosus and Cordylobia anthropophaga. In both years, the majority of cases originated from Gauteng Province followed by North West and Mpumalanga provinces. The data were summarized descriptively and compared with available published records. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted

Analisaram-se os serviços laboratoriais com o objetivo de caracterizar o perfil dos laboratórios de microbiologia que realizam exames para hospitais com dez ou mais leitos de UTI e hospitais da rede sentinela, com ênfase na funcionalidade, recursos humanos e métodos de trabalho.. Estudo transversal analisou dados secundários de um levantamento realizado em 464 laboratórios de microbiologia de todos os hospitais com pelo menos dez leitos de UTI de quinze unidades federadas selecionadas. Os dados foram coletados entre abril de 2002 a dezembro de 2005. A análise descritiva foi realizada por distribuição de freqüências. As variáveis selecionadas compuseram um conjunto para descrever três dimensões dos laboratórios: organização geral (administrativa, informação e comunicação, qualidade e gestão de risco), estrutura (formação e atualização profissionais; condições físicas gerais; equipamentos, materiais de consumo e de referência) e métodos de trabalho em todas as fases do processo analítico (pré, inter e pós). Os resultados encontrados indicaram principalmente que: uma minoria dos laboratórios possui administração profissionalizada e conhece os custos dos exames; pequena adesão aos aspectos do sistema da qualidade e de biossegurança; pequeno grau de institucionalização dos laboratórios com a atualização dos seus profissionais e apenas um terço de um subconjunto dos laboratórios possuía pós-graduação na área de bacteriologia; existência de quadro potencial para ocorrência de erros na fase préanalítica do processo; há laboratórios dos hospitais com pelo menos dez leitos de UTI e os da rede sentinela que não isolam microorganismos de importância clínica e cometem erros graves no antibiograma por não seguirem recomendações técnicas atualizadas; a participação na comissão de controle de infecção hospitalar é inadequada / Laboratory services were analyzed with the objective of characterizing the profile of microbiology laboratories which perform exams for hospitals with ten or more beds of intensive care and hospitals of the sentinel network, with emphasis in functionality, human resources and method of work. Data from a survey carried out in 464 microbiology laboratories of all hospitals with ten or more beds of intensive care of fifteen selected Brazilian states were analyzed. Data were collected from April 2002 to December 2005. Descriptive analyses were done using frequency distributions. The variables were selected to describe three dimensions of the laboratories: general organization (administrative, information and communication, quality and risk management), structure (professional formation and modernization, general physical conditions, equipment, supplies and references) and methods of work in all phases of the analytical process (pre-, inter- and post-). The main results indicate that: the minority of the laboratories has professional administration and know the costs of the exams; low adherence to the aspects of the quality system; low level of institutionalization of the laboratories with the modernization of their professionals and only one third of a subset of laboratories had post-graduated professionals in the area of bacteriology; existence of a potential for occurrence of errors in the pre-analytical phase of the process; there are laboratories with ten or more beds of intensive care and hospitals of the sentinel network which do not isolate microorganisms of clinical importance and make serious mistakes in the antibiogram due to lack of adherence to the current technical recommendations; the participation in the nosocomial infection control committee is inadequate

Analisaram-se os serviços laboratoriais com o objetivo de caracterizar o perfil dos laboratórios de microbiologia que realizam exames para hospitais com dez ou mais leitos de UTI e hospitais da rede sentinela, com ênfase na funcionalidade, recursos humanos e métodos de trabalho.. Estudo transversal analisou dados secundários de um levantamento realizado em 464 laboratórios de microbiologia de todos os hospitais com pelo menos dez leitos de UTI de quinze unidades federadas selecionadas. Os dados foram coletados entre abril de 2002 a dezembro de 2005. A análise descritiva foi realizada por distribuição de freqüências. As variáveis selecionadas compuseram um conjunto para descrever três dimensões dos laboratórios: organização geral (administrativa, informação e comunicação, qualidade e gestão de risco), estrutura (formação e atualização profissionais; condições físicas gerais; equipamentos, materiais de consumo e de referência) e métodos de trabalho em todas as fases do processo analítico (pré, inter e pós). Os resultados encontrados indicaram principalmente que: uma minoria dos laboratórios possui administração profissionalizada e conhece os custos dos exames; pequena adesão aos aspectos do sistema da qualidade e de biossegurança; pequeno grau de institucionalização dos laboratórios com a atualização dos seus profissionais e apenas um terço de um subconjunto dos laboratórios possuía pós-graduação na área de bacteriologia; existência de quadro potencial para ocorrência de erros na fase préanalítica do processo; há laboratórios dos hospitais com pelo menos dez leitos de UTI e os da rede sentinela que não isolam microorganismos de importância clínica e cometem erros graves no antibiograma por não seguirem recomendações técnicas atualizadas; a participação na comissão de controle de infecção hospitalar é inadequada / Laboratory services were analyzed with the objective of characterizing the profile of microbiology laboratories which perform exams for hospitals with ten or more beds of intensive care and hospitals of the sentinel network, with emphasis in functionality, human resources and method of work. Data from a survey carried out in 464 microbiology laboratories of all hospitals with ten or more beds of intensive care of fifteen selected Brazilian states were analyzed. Data were collected from April 2002 to December 2005. Descriptive analyses were done using frequency distributions. The variables were selected to describe three dimensions of the laboratories: general organization (administrative, information and communication, quality and risk management), structure (professional formation and modernization, general physical conditions, equipment, supplies and references) and methods of work in all phases of the analytical process (pre-, inter- and post-). The main results indicate that: the minority of the laboratories has professional administration and know the costs of the exams; low adherence to the aspects of the quality system; low level of institutionalization of the laboratories with the modernization of their professionals and only one third of a subset of laboratories had post-graduated professionals in the area of bacteriology; existence of a potential for occurrence of errors in the pre-analytical phase of the process; there are laboratories with ten or more beds of intensive care and hospitals of the sentinel network which do not isolate microorganisms of clinical importance and make serious mistakes in the antibiogram due to lack of adherence to the current technical recommendations; the participation in the nosocomial infection control committee is inadequate

Waterborne diseases continue to plague the poorest people in low-income countries and are estimated to cause 4,600,000 acute incidents of diarrhea resulting in over 2,000 deaths daily. A major challenge is performing microbiology tests to monitor drinking water quality. Friends of the Old (FOTO) implemented a novel strategy using evidence-based microbiology to educate communities about the relationship between contaminated water and disease. Two commercially available tests for E.coli, adapted for fieldwork, provided easily interpreted results of contamination that correlate with WHO's disease risk categories. Simple and effective household water treatment options 'solar pasteurization and/or chlorination' were provided to all 14,400 families and 42 schools in Lower Nyakach, Kenya. From February to May, 2015, adjacent districts had serious cholera outbreaks, but in Lower Nyakach, where education and the use of chlorine were nearly universal, there were no cases of cholera and steadily decreasing rates of diarrhea. A cross-sectional study was conducted to verify self-reported water treatment practices with evidence-based microbiological testing. A random sample of 377 households revealed that 95% treat their water each and every time they collect. Microbiological verification found 96% of household safe water storage vessels were low risk compared to their very high risk source water. A strong association (p < 0.001) existed between the observed decrease in diarrhea trends from health facilities in Lower Nyakach and exposure to the novel training. The strategy used by FOTO could be replicated to empower communities worldwide to identify contaminated drinking water sources and to reduce the incidence of waterborne disease.

The purpose of this three-article dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory regarding digital tool use in biology laboratory courses, such as microbiology, which requires specific laboratory skill development through the perception of instructors and students. Article 1 establishes the broad digital literacy and fluency problem in education by providing definitions and the context behind digital literacy fluency and its impact on acquisition of knowledge in digital learning environments. The study provided a picture of the lack of knowledge about the use of digital tools in education and practical problems around appropriate implementation, infrastructure, and preparedness. Article 2 presents results of a literature research study about the foundational, pandemic-induced, and current digital tool use in biology and microbiology lab courses. Recommendations for improvement in digital tool implementation, pedagogical approach, and appropriate selection to meet learning outcomes were provided. Article 3 describes a 3-layered study to build a new instrument to understand minority-student perceptions of identity and digital literacy and technology barriers on student success in STEM courses. The study identified challenges and benefits of digital tool use in virtual microbiology lab courses, unique challenges of underrepresented populations, and the need to develop an instrument to capture the context of this unique population.