bd1. What to send
- One fresh, pure, single-isolate culture per sample (an overnight plate or slant is best).
- No visible contamination or mixed colonies; re-streak from a single colony if unsure.
- Each plate or tube clearly labelled with your sample ID.
2. Recommended media
| Organism | Media |
|---|---|
| Gram-positive bacteria | TSAB, CBA, TSA |
| Gram-negative bacteria | TSA, CBA, MAC, TSAB |
3. Packing and transport
- Seal plates with Parafilm and pack them upright in a box; send tubes in a zip bag.
- Keep cultures fresh and protect them from heat; send as soon as possible after growth.
- Follow biosafety rules for pathogens and tell us if an isolate may be hazardous.
4. What you receive
- MALDI-TOF MS: organism name with confidence score.
- VITEK 2 identification: organism name and biochemical profile.
- VITEK 2 + AST: also MIC values and susceptible / intermediate / resistant interpretation for the antibiotics on the card.
Results depend on culture purity and the reference database. Species-level names are reported when the database supports them.