Cultural techniques have served as the backbone of modern microbiology from its inception until recent history. Cultural techniques provide researchers and outbreak investigators with the isolates needed for further study and characterization. Unfortunately, microbiologists have long struggled with an inability to culture the microbial majority, a conundrum known widely as “The Great Plate Count Anomaly”. This limitation has hampered progress in our understanding of microbial ecology, behavior and infectivity. Recent advances in culture-independent methods allow unprecedented access to key information about microorganisms in the environment, in our food or in (and on) our bodies. In their excitement over the promise of these new methods, some microbiologists have gone so far as to declare that microbial culture is dead.

The purpose of this short symposium is to examine recent advances in our understanding or application of cultural techniques that highlight the continued and unique value of microbial culture. Although the topics are sourced from various microbiological disciplines, these examples contain valuable lessons for microbiologists working at all points across the farm-to-fork-to-physician continuum.

 

Topics include the recent and discovery of a fundamental pitfall in growth medium preparation, formulation of novel food-based media for enhanced recovery of spoilage organisms and a review of recent innovations in microbial culture techniques. We expect this session will promote a lively cross-disciplinary conversation about the continued utility and future of cultural techniques.

Presentations