Nica Impact featured on i 61 newsletter

Heres a link to i-61s newsletter featuring Nica Impact.

http://i-61.org/building-bridges/

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UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 to 2018 Part I of II

The other day I was on my way to Birmingham to attend the debate on Antimicrobial Resistance. The event was organised by the Institute of Microbiology and Infection (University of Birmingham), the British Science Association and also by Antibiotic Action (an independent UK-led global initiative funded by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy). It was Monday after a full day of work, but antimicrobial resistance is a passion of mine and I couldnt miss it for anything in this world. I will therefore save a post just for unveiling the movie and debate that followed it. I took loads of interesting notes and really think it will be great to share these with those of you who couldnt make it. 

Anyhoo, on my way to Birmingham I opened and summarised these forty-odd pages of a document I found online by randomly searching for news on antimicrobial resistance. I speak of the "UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 2018" (access here for PDF). You know, I didnt want to be there just to attend or just to observe, even though I knew whatever participation I had in this event it would always be great for me. But I needed more; I needed insight, technical perspectives, political positions, action. Yes, I needed to know what action was being undertaken to tackle the ever growing issue of antimicrobial resistance in this little world of ours.

I am hereby summarising the red hot paragraphs that were ratified by the Northern Ireland Executive, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government. I hope that my little work here is appreciated and you get to understand a bit better what is in motion regarding antimicrobial strategies in the UK.

***

Executive Summary

The scale of the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the case for action was set out in the ‘Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer, 2011’, 2 published in March 2013. This ‘UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 to 2018’ sets out actions to address the key challenges to AMR.

... antibiotic resistance cannot be eradicated ... This Strategy sets out how the UK intends to address the challenges detailed in the ‘CMO’s Annual Report’... The Strategy has been informed by input from a wide range of experts in different disciplines and its delivery will involve many partners and require cross organisational co-operation at local, national and international levels.

The overarching goal of the Strategy is to slow the development and spread of AMR. It focusses activities around 3 strategic aims: 
• improve the knowledge and understanding of AMR, 
• conserve and steward the effectiveness of existing treatments, 
• stimulate the development of new antibiotics, diagnostics and novel therapies.

                                       Introduction

The initial emergence of resistance is random, arising by mutations (errors as DNA is copied in bacterial replication) or gene exchange among bacteria. The use of antibiotics then favours the spread of those bacteria that have become resistant. 

... travel and changes in population demographics also help resistant bacteria to spread.

In 2009, it was estimated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) that AMR costs the EU about €1.5 billion in healthcare expenses and lost productivity each year.

Examples of actions taken in the UK to improve prescribing practice and other measures to tackle antibiotic resistance

Since 2008, ‘European Antibiotic Awareness Day’ (EAAD) is held in November each year...

‘Treat Antibiotics Responsibly, Guidance and Education Tool’ (TARGET) was developed by the [then] Health Protection Agency... 

There is another similar initiative, ‘Stemming the Tide of Antibiotic Resistance’ educational programme (STAR).

In recent years, hospital use of antibiotics has improved through the introduction of antimicrobial stewardship programmes...

... a number of measures [...]  focused on reducing the overall use of antibiotics, reducing the use of cephalosporin and quinolone antibiotics (associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile infection), and recommending a 3 day course of trimethoprim for uncomplicated urinary tract infections, rather than longer courses. These measures are underpinned by authoritative, evidence based guidance developed by NICE.

... the addition [...] of a requirement within the ‘Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons 2012’ for veterinarians to use antimicrobials responsibly...

... formation of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance ...

... production of ‘leaflets on responsible use’...

A voluntary ban by the British Poultry Council on the use of certain antibiotics ...  

The UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) ‘Translational Infections Research Initiative’ is a £16.5 million partnership of funders (DH / NIHR, MRC, Wellcome Trust and others) which runs from 2008 to 2015 to carry out research relevant to AMR and infection control. 

To date, £20 million has been invested to support the development of point of care diagnostics and to improve the ability of UK businesses to provide solutions for the global marketplace, boost UK economic performance and provide higher quality public services.

Despite these efforts, AMR has continued to escalate and further action is needed...

The UK Commitment to Action

The UK used its presidency of the G8 in June 2013 to host a meeting of G8 Science Ministers where AMR was discussed. It was agreed that AMR is a priority issue that demands an urgent global cross-sectoral response and research to better understand the origin, spread, evolution and development of resistance. The UK is also supporting work on AMR that will be considered at the ‘World Innovation Summit for Health’ in Doha in December 2013. 

Strategic Aims and Approach

i) improve the knowledge and understanding of AMR,

ii) conserve and steward the effectiveness of existing treatments,

iii) stimulate the development of new antibiotics, diagnostics and novel therapies.

The 7 key areas for future action

i) improving infection prevention and control practices 

ii) optimising prescribing practice

iii) improving professional education, training and public engagement

iv) developing new drugs, treatments and diagnostics

v) better access to and use of surveillance data

vi) better identification and prioritisation of AMR research needs

vii) strengthened international collaboration.

The 7 Key Areas for Future Action

Key area 1: improving infection prevention and control practices

...  limit the emergence and spread of multi-drug resistant organisms in human and animals. For example, the significant fall seen in recent years, across the UK, of MRSA bloodstream infections and improvement in hand hygiene illustrates that with concerted effort... Particular national and international attention is needed on Gram Negative organisms like Klebsiella species, where resistance to critical antibiotics is emerging and spreading.

Key area 2: optimising prescribing practice

Indiscriminate or inappropriate use of antibiotics is a key driver in the spread of antibiotic resistance. [...] most prescribing is carried out in the absence of adequate information... we equally need to ensure use of the right drug, right dose at the right time and for the right duration to limit unnecessary antibiotic exposure. Genomic technologies have potential to provide a valuable means to improve appropriate, prompt, patient treatment.   

Key area 3: improving professional education, training and public engagement

Clinicians involved in prescribing need to remain up to date with emerging evidence on resistance and appropriate antibiotic usage... Patients frequently believe, incorrectly, that antibiotics will help them recover from all respiratory tract infections faster. In addition, studies have shown17 that up to 25% of patients in England do not finish their course of antibiotics or keep them for later use, all practices that encourage AMR.

Key area 4: developing new drugs, treatments and diagnostics

Human and veterinary rapid diagnostics are urgently needed to help differentiate between bacterial and viral infections, as well as to enable fast identification of highly-resistant strains. 

The discovery and development of new drugs takes time (about 10 to 15 years) and a barrier to developing new antibiotics is their relatively low commercial return on investment, relative to investments in other therapeutic areas. This low return on investment is driven by: 

• scientific difficulty of finding new agents, 

• risk of inadequate return on investment given that duration of drug use is limited compared to drugs for chronic conditions, 

• concerns over the cost and complexity of the regulatory approval process, 

• uncertainty about the regulatory environment for new antimicrobials. 

Regulatory uncertainty is dissuading pharmaceutical companies from developing new antimicrobial products for veterinary use. Pharmaceutical companies have expressed concern that potential new controls and additional data requirements may limit the market for any new products and thus limit return on investment.

Equally important is the research and development of novel approaches to the treatment and prevention of infections. This includes using substances to strengthen the immune response to bacterial infection, such as pre and probiotics. Naturally occurring bacteriophages, their enzymes and vaccines are already under consideration.

Key area 5: better access to and use of surveillance data

Better sharing of [...] information and data [...] 

Key area 6: better identification and prioritisation of AMR research needs

... the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)28 provides ongoing support for research activities with a focus on AMR, including EU-level coordination. 

[...] research is needed to provide a more detailed understanding of the significance of different transmission pathways between the environment, humans, animals and the food supply chain in promoting transfer or increase of resistance in human and veterinary pathogens [and]  to develop new technologies, including human and veterinary rapid diagnostic tests to differentiate between bacterial and viral infections, enable fast identification of the organisms causing disease, and to identify high-risk strains and their resistance.

Key area 7: strengthened international collaboration

The UK is playing a leading role in influencing European and international thinking, seeking support, securing commitments to prioritise the issue and mobilising action to deliver the scale of change needed. 

More joint initiatives like the ‘EU /USA Transatlantic Task Force on AMR’ (TATFAR), 29 and the ‘European Research Network, ERA-NET Scheme’, 30 are also needed to help foster a culture of data and technology sharing/transfer between animal and human health fields. 

To be continued...

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Fun with Colour

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I hate foxes

Last week we found the most beautiful cockatiel in our vegetable garden. After contacting the neighbours it become our new bird. Igloo named it K Air Puff. It was such a lovely friendly bird.

We had one day before we had to go away for a week, so I rushed around like mad and found a nice sized cage that we couldnt afford to keep her in. I spent far too long setting up a lovely home for her when I should have been packing.

We test the cage we get the kids to test the cage and it is steady and sturdy.

Fast forward to Saturday, the day before we get home from our trip. The day before K Air Puff would be in a safer position. And a bloody horrible nasty creature of a fox knocks his way into the cage. The poor terrified bird tried to escape and met its fate into foxes mouth.

So now we have a cage that we couldnt afford sitting empty without the money to fill this cage with a new bird.

I am so sick of these foxes. They come in the day time up to our back door. They walk up to Damien while he is outside. They get so close that he can kick them.

While it would be illegal to use fox poison without a license we did try and google a recipe. But apparently there is a cocktail called fox poison so we got no where. Thanks Mr Google :/

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I just cant find any time to blog at the time

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The Plant

The Plant

The other day I visited The Plant in Chicago. It was great to see! There was tons of innovative ideas and a very cool guided tour. The reason I went was to see the aquaponics but it turned out to be much more than that. The Plant serves as a small business incubator. I was knew to the term, but it allows new business to come in with lower start up costs. Each business is a cog in The Plants giant wheel. Everything going on in The Plant works in conjunction with each other. Spent brewers grain gets used for mushroom substrate, CO2 from the Kombucha Tea process gets pumped into the aquaponic rooms to enrich the plants air. These are just two of the many symbiotic relationships the different business have with each other.

The Plant has plans to install an anaerobic digester. This technology will provide the building with Bio Gas. The Bio Gas will provide The Plant with all its electricity and be able to sell some back to the power company at night! It works like a mechanical stomach. The right blend of fatty, oily matter and solid, starchy matter (which The Plant is paid to remove) is combined, and constant slow rotation starts a fermentation process that creates Bio Gas. When the "stomachs" contents are done digesting there are two by-products. The liquid byproduct is sold to farmers as an organic nitrogen fertilizer. The solid byproduct is used as a compost. The property is just over two acres so most of the compost will also be sold.  

Although there is still a little ways to go with construction around the HUGE building, the aquaponics system in the basement is flourishing! The main food production bed and fish tanks can produce a 1/4 ton of veggies and 100 lbs of fish a month!

The main grow bed that produces a 1/4 ton of mixed
greens. Seed to harvest in 30-45ish days.

This is their LED grow bed. They are growing Curly Kale.
Only purple / blue LEDs are used to not waste valuable electricity
on light spectrums the plants do not use. Curly Kale is the
most nutrient leafy greens. Very efficient power to nutrition ratio.  

Producing 100 lbs of fish each month cannot be easy, but this system makes it look like people have been doing it for decades. They have the fish in raised IBC containers so the gravity pumps the water into the grow beds. 

One of many IBC containers used by The Plant. These are
easy to recycle for aquaponic needs. 

Settling tank and minimal mechanical filtration.
Behind, you can see the main grow bed. 

Aquaponic plumbing

                 

Myself, Felix Vogele, at The Plant

I was very impressed with The Plants aquaponics systems. The whole process is about putting as little in as possible and getting as much as possible out. If all goes to plan, I can foresee many replica "plants" in the future.

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I am hiring an Employer

I will be done with my 4 years PhD in Molecular Microbiology by September 2015. The submission of my thesis will mark the beginning of the end in yet another professional adventure in my life. I will be 36 years old by then, with a son of approximately year and a half and a strong background in science research; ready to start another grandiose stage in my life. I have huge dreams, I have many plans, I have skills and the drive to move forward under the toughest atmospheres. I know that there will be many projects to consider and evaluations to carry on with, but I also know that the job market is fierce, the job hunting can be quite unfair, however I am most certain that I do not want to spend even a single month unemployed with nursery and rent to pay, and the house I promised my wife being bid for! Nevertheless, I am not in shackles or desperate, hence I am going for the job of my dreams. By January 2015 I want to have an idea of where in the business spectrum I will be ending up, and in order to help my future employer know me better without having to waste time on introductory phone calls, emails or checking my credit history, I decided to give a hand and respond to the commonest questions employment agencies fire when interviewing us. I will also attempt to be as straightforward as possible.

Please go fetch yourself a nice hot beverage, relax in front of the computer screen and read the post thoroughly. By the end of it feel free to contact me at any time. If you cant find me thats because Im in the lab (I work really hard, you know?!), but I will contact you at my earliest convenience. Thanks for your time and patience. Shall we start?

I am keen...
on being involved and start a solid sound career in Biomedical Sciences. My specialties are Toxicology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I am versatile, very creative and have a strong work ethic (integrity, sense of responsibility and teamwork, emphasis on quality and discipline). Despotism and judgmental  personalities put me off.

What can you do for us that other candidates cant?

They are not me, they havent acquired the experiences I gained working in Portugal, England, Germany and India. I have learned  a lot under different cultural environments and very different professional approaches.

What would your colleagues and friends consider as your best qualities?

I took the liberty to ask the first person I found in my office and she wrote in a piece of paper the following words: hard working, innovative, confident, helpful, generous. Incredible, she is right about every single one!

Why should we hire you?
Why shouldnt you hire me? I have 10 years of experience in research, I have a strong science background, I speak four languages, I am professionally mature, I listen whilst enjoying the freedom to endorse my opinion. 

What are your goals?

I want to start a role that can get me to the top of the hierarchy, as an expert, in no more than 10 years. I want to excel and be the person people come to when they need to overcome complicated obstacles.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

I want to be involved in exciting projects that demand knowledge, professionalism, team-spirit and integrity. Then, be asking potential candidates wanting to join my team the exact questions I am hereby responding to. 

Why did you leave your last job?

No one can be a PhD forever, theres a moment you know you can reach higher and you deserve better. My learning curve is now ascending to a put-it-to-practice momentum. Post-Doc instability is to be avoided.

Tell me about a typical day in your current/previous job:

Arrive at work. Check the to-do list prepared the day before. Order whats in absence. Collect what has arrived. Fetch the protocol. Down to the lab. Experiments in motion. Interpret results. Meet supervisors.

What have you learned with your PhD?

To never dismay. To listen to the most experienced. To try my idea, but accept other routes when mines havent worked. To believe in myself. To work really hard for that milestone. To accept that "I can".

What motivates you?

New ideas/projects, Freedom to Act, Trust, Friendship, Travelling and Communicating. Different environments and cultures. Complicated tasks that ultimately need to be made simpler and more effective.

Which tasks do you get the most satisfaction from?

Deconstructing complicated networks, regulatory ones and the like. I am passionate about going from the complex and abstract to single details and how these relate. These qualities have many practical applications.

List three laboratory areas of expertise:

Molecular Biology, Chromatography, Toxicology.

What makes a good team?

I cannot stress this enough, one should always compete with himself by improving constantly as an individual whilst trying to improve the teams rapport. Communicating, brainstorming and trusting the leader are crucial.

What makes a good team member?

Positive criticism, sincerity, honesty, reliability, energy, positive attitude, responsibility, versatility, problem-solving skills, good listener, assumes mistakes within and correct issues pronto.

What makes a good team leader?

Knows the job and the best way to reach success. Respects his team members as professionals and humans. Can referee conflicts with a firm hand but is aware of the extent of his responsibilities towards others. 

What was the last film you saw or the last book you read?

A PhD does not allow much time for cinema, but I am constantly reading books. The best way to answer is to say which one have really taught me something lately - "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell.

If you were a biscuit, what type of biscuit would you be?

Corintia Raisin biscuits from Triunfo.

If you were an animal, what type of animal would you be?

A wolf.

Great! Now youre in possession of a lot of good information to decide whether to contact me or hang me out to dry. I tried to make my answers two/three lines long and remove any unnecessary bits to save you precious time. My contact details can be found on my LinkedIn profile [http://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanlafayette]. No time is too soon, no job is inappropriate. It all depends on how well it fits my professional profile and the chances for me to grow in it. Cheers!

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Great science news from a recent past Part I

2014 was proficient in great science. News of developments in areas such as cancer research, infectious diseases and technological advances were popping up in the media everyday. Our busy lives dont really leave us any time to follow some of the great things that were achieved. If some of these never hit you, The Toxicologist Today is here to help you with some of the great articles and developments that really need your special attention this 2015!

Bacterial identification virtual lab - The world will know about the growing industry of serious games. Teaching will take a turn when serious games come to the equation for they are the future. In the meanwhile, check how Howard Hughes Medical Institute is teaching their website visitors to  familiarise with the science and techniques used to identify different types of bacteria based on their DNA sequences.

The winnower - an open access online science publishing platform that employs open-post publication peer review. This is gonna make Ben Goldacre feel that his words are actually causing waves of transformation. Thanks to Joshua Nicholson and Reinhard Stindl there is a growing movement towards transparency from start to finish in science communication, as they so well put. 

Crest toothpaste embeds plastic in our gums - Some countries have got the common sense to initiate a battle against polyethylene in our toothpaste. Particles of everlasting plastic that will live "forever" only breaking into other smaller particles. Inert but not invisible, and merely for decorative purposes. They are there to accumulate in places like the little channels in our gums, embedded within the sulcus under the gumline. Companies have gone mad, definitely! Check this great article by Trish Walraven and Erika Feltham.

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The stuff they say about Ebola Part I of many

This post isnt supposed to throw fire at anyone for their beefing; there is no wrongdoing whatsoever in these statements. This is just a mere review on the different opinions on Ebola that have been populating discussions throughout the many different LinkedIn groups. Whenever possible I try to explore both sides of the story to keep balance or some sort of equilibrium between schools of thought. I decided to collect the most interesting statements and they are hereby listed for your own enjoyment and learning:

How the Ebola outbreak turned in to a racism and responsibility debate [access here]

The news has sparked an ethical debate over equality of access to medical care and racism as two white Americans were given potentially life-saving treatment [ZMapp] denied to hundreds of Africans.

"...there are parallel questions over “the ethics of rushing forward with experimental [drugs] that haven’t been put through any clinical trials and whose safety and efficacy are unknown.”

Debate erupts on repurposed drugs for Ebola [access here]
Eleanor Fish is frustrated. The immunologist at the University of Toronto in Canada thinks she knows how to help save the lives of people battling Ebola—but nobody seems interested. Fish believes health care workers and people exposed to the virus should take Infergen, a synthetic interferon ? that she has studied extensively and that has been used widely to treat hepatitis C and several other diseases. Pharmunion BSV Development, the Ukrainian company that makes it, has offered to ship 60,000 vials to Africa for free.

Just a month ago, WHO said it would be unethical and unwise to use such interventions at this time (Science, 25 July, p. 364). But the treatment of two U.S. patients who contracted Ebola in Liberia with an experimental antibody cocktail called ZMapp has shifted public perceptions, says Armand Sprecher of Doctors Without Borders in Brussels. 

Scentists show how Ebola disables initial immune defenses [access here]
"Our study is the first to show how Ebola viral protein 24 defeats the signal sent by interferons, the key signaling molecules in the bodys early response to Ebola virus infection," notes Christopher F. Basler, Ph.D., professor of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and an author of the newly published paper. "These newfound details of Ebola biology are already serving as the foundation of a new drug development effort, albeit in its earliest stages."

Lesson #1 - Scientists do beef too.

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New Fish!!!

I got some new fish last night! I am very happy with them. One of my fish contacts had to get rid of some of fish to make room for new ones. I was happy to come by and see if there was any that caught my eye. I ended up coming home with five little guys. Im very excited about them.

Blue Dolphin mug shot. When they are older,
they will grow a big hump on their forehead.
This hump is to attract mates and is composed of fatty tissue. 

The first pair is Blue Dolphins (Cyrtocara moorii). I have been interested in them since I began keeping cichlids back in 2004. They are very peaceful fish that grow to big sizes, very cool. One of the distinguishing features of an adult Blue Dolphin is a large hump that grows on its head. The larger the hump, the older the fish. While it is mostly males with large humps, females can have them too.

The next pair and single, Im not sure exactly what type they are yet but I think the single one is a female "Rusty Cichlid" but is def a type mbuna. This family of fish is pretty easy to identify. They look very similar.

Rusty Cichlid

Here are some more pics I took of all my fish

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Banana bread with Mr Thermie

I bought some almond milk as it sounded so delicious, in truth its the nastiest stuff Ive ever drunk. Who in their right mind drinks such a horrid concoction Id rather starve.

Got me thinking on needing to use this horrible yuck and thought it might go alright in some Banana bread.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
• 150ml Milk
• 150ml Almond milk (or 300ml normal milk if you too think almond milk is nasty)
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 240g Self Raising Flour (You Can Use Wholemeal)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/3 cup Soft Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Mixed spice
• 3 tablespoons Honey
• 1 Egg
• 100g of nuts I used almonds, cashews and macadamias

True Thermomix style (or is it Tracey Style?) chuck in all in the bowl in the order listed then mix on 6 for 30 sec. Use a lower speed if you want chunkier nuts but I have kids so wanted things well blended. Add the oats at the end and mix slowly if you want them whole.

If you dont have a Thermie well you miss out. No not really you may need to soak your oats, mash your banana by hand and chop your own nuts but then you should be right to mix in a bowl. Sweat and love makes a cake taste better right?

Pour into greased and lined loaf tin and bake for 45mins on low to moderate oven try around 180C

NB I forgot the weigh as I went so I will update the recipe with weights next time I make it.

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TVC Bacterial endotoxin testing and bacterial identification Part I of III

Whenever I find jobs more related to practical microbiology and not so much free range like research is, I happen to meet very defined routines and modes of action. The job requirements for these very straightforward microbiology roles almost always cover three basic aspects: Total Viable Counts (TVC), Bacterial endotoxin testing and Bacterial identification. 

As with basically everything in life, there are numerous different ways of performing these techniques and obtain a successful outcome. But for those who are just starting or arent so familiar with these techniques, I believe it is of great help if we look into these in more depth.

Total Viable Counts is a test to estimate total numbers of viable (biologically functional) individual microorganisms (usually bacteria) present in a defined volume of sample. This is a technique abundantly used in verifying water and food quality. Different samples demand different parameters as so well explained in [1, 2] and a rigid set of conditions is just not feasible. Media, incubation temperature and even counting procedures change depending on the organisms metabolic requirements and the environment it is coming from. Because a TVC is simply an estimation they are usually interpreted as colony forming units (CFU) per a certain volume or area. A high TVC can tell one about how a vending machine is operating in terms of cooling efficacy, about the maintenance of the water reservoirs, etc.

When performing a TVC it is important to know exactly how to perform a serial dilution (see video for more details on a tenfold gravimetric dilution). Even though a serial dilution is considered to be a very simple and straightforward procedure the tiniest mistake can actually produce surreal results. To overcome counting difficulties a few companies developed tools that can help one on the process. There are plenty of great websites where you can collect important practical info on each tool and procedure techniques. The ones described in RapidMicrobiology are very well developed, especially good for reporting on TVC of food and beverages [4]. 

If youd like to take a look at practical TVC protocols that are also designed for fungal counting, access here on [3]. 

Next post we will be visiting the Bacterial endotoxin testing as well as the bacterial identification.Stay tuned!

[1] TVC Total viable count, Cheshire Scientific, [http://www.cheshirescientific.co.uk/microOrganisms/tvc.php], last visited on the 26th of November 2015, last update unknown.

[2] The significance of total viable counts, Watercoolers Europe, [http://www.watercoolerseurope.eu/expert-corner/bacteria-in-bottled-watercoolers-the-significance-of-total-viable-counts-tvcs-1], last visited on the 26th of November 2015, last updated on the 28th of September 2012.

[3] Total viable count with enrichment microbiological procedure, Lubrizol, [file:///C:/Users/mrxil/Downloads/TP-6TV0001_Total_Viable_Count_with_Enrichment.pdf], last visited on the 26th of November 2015, last updated on the 25th of August 2009.

[4] Rapid methods for total viable counts in food and beverages, RapidMicrobiology, [http://www.rapidmicrobiology.com/test-method/rapid-methods-for-total-viable-counts-in-food-and-beverages/], last visited on the 26th of November 2015, last update unknown.

Video by Shomus Biology, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtYtqpBLC14].

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I ♥ Wednesday

Today I ? my biggest boy

Wednesday is going to be the one slow day of my week this year. So I have decided I am going to take a moment each week to stop and reflect on something I love.

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