Laboratory

PREMISES

MMARL is made up of different areas:

Laboratory of bacteriology and microbial physiology; the heart of the laboratory

Three laboratories of Molecular Microbiology/Microscopy/Darkroom

Preparation rooms and stockroom

Freezer area -20 °C and -80 °C

Five study rooms

Library with Internet access for students

A map of the LAB MMAR is given below

EQUIPMENT

Fume hoods (Labosistem) for the establishment of microbiological cultures (Faster BH2003, Safemate 12)  UV Fume hoods (Erlab)

Cabinets for chemical reagents and flammable products (3)

Analytical scales (3) (Orma), pH meter (Tecnolab)

Optical microscope fitted for epifluorescence (Zeiss, AxioScope A1) (1), Axio Vision Software

Image acquisition devices (Canon Power Shot G10) (1)

Microcentrifuges and Refrigerated Microcentrifuges (Eppendorf, Biofuge, Hettich, Thermo)(4)

Spectrophotometer UV/Vis (thermospectronics); BioPhotometer D30 (epperdorf) (2)

Autoclave (Fedegari), tabletop autoclaves (A760) (2)

Direct Q® Ultrapure water system (Millipore) (1)

Freezers -80 °C , -40 °C , -20 °C  and coolers (2) (Revco, Atlantic, Ignis, Angelantoni, Indesit)

Thermostated cells and Incubators (Binder, KW) (3)

Sonicators (Branson, Bandelin Electronic) (2)

Filtration Systems (Millipore, Sartorius)

Mini-bead beater for mechanical destruction (Biospec)

Hybridization ovens, Thermostatic Baths (Unilab, Thermostatic Bath Falc) (2)

Thermocyclers for PCR (4) and RealTime-PCR (Strategene, Rotor-GeneQ, Qiagen)(2)

QIAcube Extractor (Qiagen)

Electroporator (1)

Vacuum blotter (Amersham)

Lab shaker (Heidolph Unimax 1010)

Spiral Plate Easy Spiral Pro; SuperVision software (Interscience)

Scanner Plate Scan 500; Scan® Software (Interscience)

DGGE, Protean® II cell ix (Biorad)

Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (Biorad)

Electrophoresis cells (Biogenerica, Biorad)(5)

Colony counter IVL

Vortex (4)

Bunsen (8)

LABORATORY TECHNIQUES

Preparation of selective and chemically defined media and enrichment cultures – Phenotypic and molecular identification of microorganisms

Antibiotic Resistance Profiles: MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration), MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration), Kirby-Bauer, association of antibiotics (checkerboard, E-test, killing curve), Population Analysis (Population Analysis Profile/Area under Curve ratio, PAP/AUC)

Processing samples of clinical and environmental specimens

Isolation and purification of genomic and plasmid DNA and RNA, from clinical and environmental samples

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Real-time PCR and Reverse Transcriptase RT-PCR

Electrophoresis of nucleic acids and proteins

Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE)

Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST)

Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE)

Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH and CARD-FISH)

Construction of clone libraries

Study of biofilm production

Southern and Northern Blotting

“In vivo” Pathogenicity Studies

Mutagenesis

Isoelectrofocusing (IEF)

Assays of production of antimicrobial peptides (Bacteriocins)

Characterization of gene elements

Gene transfer by transformation and conjugation