Microbial identification
Abstract
Microbiological identification is a standard feature in most microbiology laboratories. It is concerned with the characterization and speciation of microorganisms. Understanding the type of microorganism and where it may have come from forms an important part of contamination assessment. Identification is also important for the maintenance of stock cultures. This chapter outlines the main types of microbiological identification tests available, dividing the various tests into phenotypic and genotypic methods. The chapter further considers the important aspects for the verification of such tests and their incorporation into the microbiology laboratory.