Microbiology:

The microbiologist is an integral part of the health care team.  She/He has an understanding of the locations, varieties, and roles of the bacterial flora indigenous to the skin and mucous membranes which is essential to the proper selection and collection of material for cultures.   She/He tracks down, isolates, and identifies disease-causing bacteria, parasites or viruses.  

In general the microbiologist will perform the following functions:

• Cultivation (growth), identification, and determination of best antibiotic against the infection

• Directly looking at specimen with microscope to determine bacteria present

• Using other tests, such as chemical, and immunological for cause of illness

• Detection of antibodies produced by the patient in response to an infecting organism