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Last week we discussed counting spores on tape and swab samples. I was asked about the procedure of quantitative microscopic direct exam of spores (and other fungal biomass) in swab samples. Apparently, this technology is not available in every labs. This week, we go into the details of its analytical procedure.

Let's first see how culturing is performed. Fungal biomass (spores, hyphal fragments and yeasts) is extracted from swab or bulk samples into an aqueous solution. A series of 10-fold dilutions is made to dilute the sample suspension. For culture method, a small portion of suspension from three dilutions is inoculated onto agar media plates with nutrients to support mold growth. The dilution is necessary to avoid overloading the agar plates with too many colonies from the original sample suspension (and some dilutions with higher concentrations of viable cells). After 6 to 8 days of incubation, the colonies grown on the plates will be counted and identified. Plates with most suitable number of colonies will be chosen for the analysis.

For microscopic direct exam, a small portion of suspension from each dilutions from the preparation described previously is specially prepared onto a microscope slide. Fungal structures on the slide are examined under microscope. The preparation is very critical. Fungal biomass need to be distributed evenly on the surface to ensure data precision. Loss of fungal biomass during preparation need to be minimal to avoid negative bias. Some labs actually have discontinued this analysis due to high variation and negative bias in the results.

"High Performance Spore Count" for swab and bulk samples developed by QLab's can deliver both accurate and precise analytical results. This technology has been available for about two years now. Comparing to culture method, It can reduce the turn around time (TAT) from 7 days to 2 days. It can also detect all fungal biomass, viable and non-viable. For PRV, swabs' superior collection capacity and efficiency outperform tape-lifts. Although the identification can only be presumptive just like counting spore trap samples, the benefits of (1) quick TAT, (2) quantitative results and (3) detection of both viable and non-viable fungal cells make this technology a powerful tool for any IEQ consultants and remediation contractors.

Call us today at 1-888-QLab-Wei (888-752-2934) to see how you can benefit from this technology!

We all know that your lab can either be your best friend or your worst enemy! If standing between you and your customers is a "Money-Making Mega Lab" with un- reproducible data and watered-down cheap services, it is no wonder that your business is not growing the way you want it to grow. Quality analyses with personal attention from QLab can help you grow your business like no one else!

We typically help companies that have been frustrated with unsatisfying services from their current microbiology lab on issues such as:
(1) poor technical support
(2) no personal attention
(3) inconsistent results
(4) project delay; slow turnaround time
(5) reports not making sense
(6) lack of ethics

Call us today, and experience how some of your competitors have been gaining their advantage by using QLab's services!

Host: Joe Hughes/Cliff Zlotnik

This week we are going to talk about environmental insurance issues for contractors and consultants providing services on IAQ and disaster restoration projects. Brian Mcfarland is Vice-President of Program Development for Legends Environmental Insurance Services. Prior to joining Legends he served as Director of Business Development/Marketing and IAQ Department Director for Environmental Support Solutions. His current primary responsibility at Legends is management of insurance programs for environmental safety & health associations. Brian is the go-to guy for environmental insurance questions and we plan on learning as much as we can.

Scheduled Time:
Date: Fri, August 8, 2008
Time: 12:00 PM EDT