Put simply, microbiology entails the
study of microorganisms that one can't see with the naked eye. These are from
bacteria, fungi, protozoa and such similar organisms. There is an intricate
association between microbes to specific diseases. This has kept scientists at
the front on research concerning them for centuries. The role of microbiology
on advances within the healthcare industry, and especially the pharmaceutical industry,
has led to great discoveries ranging from medicines and vaccines to devices.
What
Happens Within Us
The understanding of various principles
of microbiology in relation to the mechanisms of human cells enables
pharmacists to discover the crucial antimicrobial drugs. These are responsible
for the prevention of a colossal number of communicable diseases.
Naturally, our body cells fight
microbes that find their way into us. Many may have witnessed this through
formation of pus and wound inflammation. The human immune system's macrophages
have the capability of ingesting the microbes that penetrate into the body via
wounds. Microbes, once in the body, could adapt and mutate at alarming rates.
The resultant of this is opportunistic diseases, as occurs with HIV. However
they are not all harmful. We couldn’t do without some – such as the
lactobacillus bacteria within our digestive systems.
What
the Microbiologists Do
The pharmacists and
microbiologists work hand in hand, complementing each other, to ensure that
the drug therapies created target the disease-causing microbes without bringing
harm to the human host. Microbiologists are also involved in the microbial testing for
contamination based on specification limits. Other work instances include the
production of vaccines for live cultures, performing sterility testing,
environmental monitoring and in-processing checks among others.
For
Medical Devices
Microbiology plays a significant role
in the design and manufacture of
medical devices. Take for instance, fluorescent fusion. This is a
technology for the carrying out of immunofluorescence studies. These
advancements in technology are used for pathogen detection in tissue samples.
They make the process both fast and precise. This technology can also be
applied for finding specific cells within complex biological systems.
The
Safety of Medicines and Vaccines
Drug safety is a key point of focus in
pharmaceutical industries. The pathogenic yeasts, bacteria, molds, and toxins
among others, which are produced by the microbes, are all potential
contaminants of medicines. The microbiologists ensure stringent and regulated
processes to ensure there are as minimal risks as possible.
However, what happens if there is the
unfortunate event of a contamination? Another key focus point of pharmaceutical microbiology
is the determination of a product's reaction in the case of a contamination.
The product undergoes 'challenges' from specified amounts of microbes and
consequent anti-bacterial activity is monitored. The microbiologists also
validate disinfectants, evaluating their efficacy in suspension, whilst on
surfaces and through field trials.
As such, they provide the crucial
microbiology quality assurance and control solutions. This is through the development of devices for microbiological
testing and rapid detection systems. Safety is key and pharmaceutical
products released should have undergone thorough, research, scrutiny and
testing. That's one of the key activities microbiologists carry out within the
pharmaceutical industry, among their numerous other roles.
Learn more about microbiology quality assurance and
pharmaceutical microbiology by contacting Biolumix.
Biolumix
3928 Varsity Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Phone: (734) 984-3100
Fax: 734-222-1830
Email: info@mybiolumix.com