Today marks the official launch of HEMO™, the automation that will revolutionize positive blood culture processing.

What’s HEMO™? 

HEMO™ automatically transfers and tracks positive blood cultures from blood sampling bottles to Copan BC+™ for worry-free automated processing and analysis with Radian® and WASPLab®.

Blood culture aliquoting made easy 

• Safety First: Say goodbye to needle-stick injuries and blood leaks for improved staff safety.
• Optimized Workflow: HEMO™ takes over repetitive tasks so you can focus on what matters most.
• Consistency: HEMO™ minimizes the risk of contamination and errors for the benefit of your patients.
• Traceability: With dual barcode scanning and a built-in printer, every sample gets the tracking it deserves.
• Productivity Powerhouse: Handle urgent samples effortlessly and enjoy round-the-clock efficiency.

One more thing: HEMO™ is compatible with third-party hemoculture bottles, too—because we’re all about making integration into your laboratory workflow easier.

Curious about HEMO™? 

Download the brochure to learn more, or contact us for any questions.

Here are the three studies selected for this month’s Microbiology Time:

• In the first paper, the Spanish researchers investigated persistent biomarkers in the nasopharyngeal tract of fully asymptomatic patients two years post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, considering the initial severity of their illness. This study aims to shed light on SARS-CoV-2’s wide range of symptoms that span from mild to severe cases requiring intensive care. The study found 371 proteins and their related pathways that reflect different adverse effects of the infection, demonstrating that biomarkers can persist long-term and indicate the severity of the initial infection. While significant efforts have been made to identify severity-linked biomarkers and those connected with long-COVID, this provides the first evidence of biomarkers persisting years after recovery.
• For the second study, we move to Denmark. This Chronic Wound Characterisation (CWC) study aims to investigate chronic wounds, focusing on bacterial communities and biofilm, inflammation, and their effects on wound healing. The study comprised two cohorts: the predictive cohort involving patients with chronic wounds undergoing mechanical debridement and the in-depth cohort following patients receiving split-thickness skin grafts. The samples from the two cohorts were then analyzed using culturing and next-generation sequencing, laying the foundation to identify human genes and microbes related to infection and healing. Moreover, the researchers established a biobank of clinical samples and data that will also help explore the influence of bacteria on wound progression and healing.
• In the last paper, R. Traynor and colleagues investigated a PVL-producing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus outbreak in the Irish National Burns Unit in 2022, involving seven patients, two staff members, and two positive environmental samples. Staff and environmental screening, along with enhanced cleaning protocols, were crucial for effectively managing this outbreak. The application of real-time whole genome sequencing (WGS) facilitated the quick identification of related cases and enabled a swift response to the outbreak, making the management of this infection an example of effective outbreak management.

This month, we dig into oropharyngeal cancer and HPV, microbiome and vaginitis, and microFLOQ in forensic DNA testing.

• In addition to cervical cancer, HPV is a significant factor in the development of oropharyngeal cancer, and its prompt detection is crucial for diagnosis and treatment planning. The first study from Italy investigates the effectiveness of two non-invasive sampling methods for detecting HPV DNA in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The study involved 26 patients, each providing two self-collected oral specimens, oral rinse and LolliSponge, which were analyzed using HPV genotyping techniques. Results showed that LolliSponge had higher specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy than the oral rinse method, with a significantly better diagnostic performance. The researchers conclude that oral sponge sampling is a valuable non-invasive option for detecting HPV in OSCC patients, particularly those with functional deficits due to the disease. Further research with larger cohorts is recommended to confirm these results and explore clinical integration.
• The second study addresses the limitations of current tools for vaginitis diagnosis, a common condition affecting women globally, with bacterial vaginosis (BV) being the most prevalent form. Traditional diagnostic methods rely on clinical criteria, microscopy, or limited microbial detection using qPCR. Still, many vaginal infections are linked to changes in the vaginal microbiome rather than a single causative agent. The US researchers introduce here a metagenomic sequencing test for the vaginal microbiome, providing a comprehensive analysis of all organisms present. This test demonstrates high accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and BV predictive values and has been certified by regulatory bodies. So far, the test has been applied to over 7,000 vaginal samples, offering insights into the US population’s vaginal microbiome.
• The last study investigated the effectiveness of microFLOQ direct swabs in forensic DNA testing. It focused on their use in traditional polymerase chain reaction capillary electrophoresis (PCR-CE) and a new massively parallel sequencing (MPS) protocol. The study aimed to determine how well DNA profiles could be generated directly from small subsamples of blood, saliva, and semen without DNA extraction or quantitation. The researchers used cotton swabs and 4N6FLOQSwabs to collect both fresh and dried biological samples, which were then subsampled using microFLOQ swabs. The results indicated that subsamples from fresh bodily fluids produced more complete STR profiles than those from dried samples. Additionally, the custom MPS protocol successfully generated DNA profiles from diluted saliva, blood, and touch DNA collected from nonabsorbent surfaces. The study demonstrated that microFLOQ swabs are effective for direct amplification and producing high-quality DNA profiles suitable for forensic use.

Read the full studies: