Preventing Laboratory Contamination in the Microbiology Laboratory. Blog post by Amiirah Edoo

April 29, 2024

Maintaining a clean, disinfected and organized laboratory is crucial to avoiding contamination. Aseptic technique is one of the most important practices a Microbiologist can use to minimize contamination.

What is aseptic technique?

Aseptic technique is a set of practices used in microbiology when handling microorganisms or other biological material to prevent sample contamination by microorganisms in the environment. These practices also provide basic personnel protection from exposure while handling biological material.

Aspects of aseptic technique are crucial when performing microbiological testing. Some tests include, but are not limited to:

1.      Sterility Testing per USP 71 or ISO 11737

2.      Sterilization Validation Studies

3.      Disinfection Validation Studies

4.      Microbial Enumeration Test per USP 61 and USP 62

5.      Neutralization Studies

6.      Method Suitability Test, also known as Bacteriostasis and Fungistasis

7.      Bioburden Testing

The Canadian Biosafety Handbook provides guidance on good microbiological practices. The aim is to protect laboratory personnel and the environment as well as to safeguard the sample against environmental contaminants. Negative controls are included in microbiological testing to verify the absence of contamination and demonstrate that the method does not produce false-positive results.

Here are a few tips to prevent contamination in the laboratory:

1.      Laboratory personnel training

2.      Good Microbiology Practices

3.      Personal Protective Equipment and Hand Hygiene

4.      A biosafety program

5.      Use of a Biological Safety Cabinet for microbiological work

6.      Rigorous housekeeping, cleaning and disinfection procedures

7.      Continuous improvement of protocols and practices

Laboratory contamination can significantly impact the accuracy of results. By adopting good microbiological practices and best practices in identifying sources of laboratory contamination as well as implementing corrective and preventative actions, SteriLabs aims to provide the highest standards of accuracy and reliability in our results.