US Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Pesticide Programs

Office of Pesticide Programs

Microbiology Laboratory

Environmental Science Center, Ft. Meade, MD

Standard Operating Procedure for
Tracking of Test Microorganisms

SOP Number: MB-02-05
Date Revised: 02-23-12


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SOP No. MB-02-05
Date Revised 02-23-12
Page 1 of 10

Initiated By:

Technical Review:

QA Review:

Approved By:

EPA/OPP MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY
ESC, Ft. Meade, MD

Standard Operating Procedure
for

Tracking of Test Microorganisms
SOP Number: MB-02-05
Date Revised: 02-23-12

Print Name:

Print Name:

Technical Staff

Print Name:

QA Officer

Print Name:

Branch Chief

Date: / /

Date: / /

Date: / /

Date: / /

Effective Date:

/ /

Controlled Copy No.:

Withdrawn By:

Date: / /


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SOP No. MB-02-05
Date Revised 02-23-12
Page 2 of 10

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents	Page Number

1.0 SCOPE AND APPLICATION	3

2.0 DEFINITIONS	3

3.0 HEALTH AND SAFETY	3

4.0 CAUTIONS	3

5.0 INTERFERENCES	3

6.0 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS	3

7.0 SPECIAL APPARATUS AND MATERIALS	3

8.0 INSTRUMENT OR METHOD CALIBRATION	3

9.0 SAMPLE HANDLING AND STORAGE	4

10.0 PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS	4

11.0 DATA ANALYSIS/CALCULATIONS	6

12.0 DATA MANAGEMENT/RECORDS MANAGEMENT	6

13.0 QUALITY CONTROL	6

14.0 NONCONFORMANCE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION	6

15.0 REFERENCES	6

16.0 FORMS AM) DATA SHEETS	6


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SOP No. MB-02-05
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1.0 SCOPE AND APPLICATION:

1.1 This protocol provides guidance for establishing receipt and expiration dates for
microorganisms used in the Microbiology Laboratory Branch (MLB) as well as
denotation and tracking of those microorganisms.

2.0 DEFINITIONS:

2.1 ATCC = American Type Culture Collection

3.0 HEALTH AND SAFETY:

3.1 All manipulations of the test organisms are required to be performed in

accordance with biosafety practices stipulated in SOP MB-01, Lab Biosafety.

4.0 CAUTIONS:

4.1 Expired ampules of freeze-dried organisms are not used and will be discarded
appropriately.

5.0 INTERFERENCES: None.

6.0 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS:

6.1 Personnel are required to be knowledgeable about and to comply with the

laboratory's culturing and disinfectant testing procedures. Documentation of
training and familiarization with these procedures can be found in the training file
for each employee.

7.0 SPECIAL APPARATUS AND MATERIALS:

7.1	Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538),
Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 19659), and Salmonella enterica (ATCC 10708); ordered
annually and received directly from ATCC.

7.2	Mycobacterium bovis (BCG); ordered and received directly from Organon
Teknika.

7.3	Other microorganisms used in the microbiology laboratory may be purchased
from appropriate vendors when necessary.

8.0

INSTRUMENT OR METHOD CALIBRATION:


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SOP No. MB-02-05
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8.1 Refer to the laboratory equipment calibration and maintenance SOPs (SOP EQ
series) for details on method and frequency of calibration.

9.0 SAMPLE HANDLING AND STORAGE: Not applicable.

10.0 PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS:

10.1	Supply Control Number

10.1.1	All freeze-dried ampules are given a supply control number upon
receipt (see SOP QC-09, Control Numbers).

10.1.2	The supply control number for ampules consists of the date the ampule
was received (R) and the date the ampule expires (E).

For example: For a dehydrated ampule of S. aureus received on 01-05-
12 and expiring on 03-12-13, the supply control number would be
R010512E031213. For a dehydrated ampule ofM bovis (BCG)
received on 07-24-11 and expiring on 09-04-13, the supply control
number would be R072411E090413.

10.2	Organism Control Number.

10.2.1	The organism control number consists of the date the reconstituted
microbe expires (ME), a two-letter suffix denoting the organism, and
any culture transfer notation (refer to section 10.3 for culture transfer
notation).

10.2.1.1 The two-letters in the suffix of the organism control

number denote the genus and species of the organism (for
example, Pa fori5, aeruginosa, Sa for S. aureus, Bs forB.
subtilis, and Se for S. enterica). Other microorganisms
used in the microbiology laboratory will be given two-letter
suffixes consistent with the notation listed above.

10.2.2	P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, B. subtilis, and S. enterica.

10.2.2.1 A culture of S. aureus reconstituted on 02-03-12 would
receive an organism control number of ME020313-Sa
followed by any culture transfer notations.

10.2.2.2 Once reconstituted, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, B. subtilis,


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SOP No. MB-02-05
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and S. enterica may only be subcultured for a period of one
year. Any cultures, including stock cultures, daily
transfers, and test cultures, are valid for up to 12 months
after reconstitution of the lyophilized culture (the ME date).
In the case provided (section 10.2.1.1), stock cultures and
any resulting test cultures are valid through 02-03-13.

10.2.2.3 Once expired, the stock cultures must be autoclaved and

discarded and a new culture initiated from a new unexpired
lyophilized lot from ATCC.

10.2.3 M. bovis (BCG).

10.2.3.1 M. bo vis (BCG) is not required to be replaced annually and
does not have an expiration date for stocks (based on
AO AC Method 965.12). A re-ordering cycle for new
cultures has not been established. Therefore, the culture
notation consists of MEOOOOOO-Mb followed by any
culture transfer notations. Continuous transfers of M. bovis
(BCG) may be made unless the organism has been
compromised.

10.3 Culture Transfer Notation of Test Microbes.

10.3.1	See footnotes for Organism Culture Tracking Form for culture transfer
notations for S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and S. enterica (see section
16.0). For example, a Staphylococcus test culture notation would be
MEXXXXXX-Sa-1104TC, where 11 is the monthly culture transfer
(number of months since the month of initiation) and 04 is the daily
culture transfer (4th daily culture transfer); TC is applied to indicate a
48 hour test culture.

10.3.2	See footnotes for Organism Culture Tracking Form tor Mycobacterium
bovis (BCG) culture transfer notations (see section 16.0). For M. bovis
(BCG), the test culture notation would be MEXXXXXX-Mb-1103SL,
where 11 represents the month of culture transfer (the month of the
year) and 03 represents the week of the month for that transfer (the 3rd
week of the month).

10.3.2.1 SC is applied to identify a stock culture (e.g., a transfer
from a slant to a slant). SL is applied to identify the test
culture (this indicates a transfer from a slant culture to a


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SOP No. MB-02-05
Date Revised 02-23-12
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liquid culture). LL can also be applied to identify a test
culture (this indicates a transfer from a liquid MPB culture
to another liquid culture).

10.3.2.2 The weeks of each month are numbered consecutively
starting with the 1st Monday of the month (as 01) and
ending with the last Monday of the month (depending on
the number of Mondays in the month, as either 04 or 05).

11.0 DATA ANALYSIS/CALCULATIONS: None

12.0 DATA MANAGEMENT/RECORDS MANAGEMENT:

12.1 Data will be recorded promptly, legibly, and in indelible ink on the Test Microbe
Conformation Sheets and the Organism Culture Tracking Forms. Completed
forms are archived in notebooks kept in secured file cabinets in room D217. Only
authorized personnel have access to the secured files. Archived data is subject to
OPP's official retention schedule contained in SOP ADM-03, Records and
Archives.

13.0 QUALITY CONTROL:

13.1 For quality control purposes, the required information is documented on the

appropriate record form(s) (see section 16.0 of this SOP as well as MB-05, MB-
06, MB-07, MB-09, MB-23 and MB-24).

14.0 NONCONFORMANCE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION:

14.1 Entry errors will be corrected upon discovery.

15.0 REFERENCES: None.

16.0 FORMS AND DATA SHEETS:

16.1	Organi sm Culture Tracking Form

16.2	Test Microbe Confirmation Sheet (Quality Control)

16.3	Organism Culture Tracking Form tor Mycobacterium bovis (BCG)

16.4	Test Microbe Confirmation Sheet (Quality Control) for Mycobacterium bovis
(BCG)


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SOP No. MB-02-05
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16.1

ORGANISM CULTURE TRACKING FORM
OPP Microbiology Laboratory

Organism/ATCC #:



Organism Control No.:



Supply Control Number (for ampule):



Dale Microbe Initialed:



Lot Number (for ampule):



Notes:



Dale

Time

Init.

Subculture Source

Transfer*

Media Inoculated
(and # inoculated)

Media Prep No.

Incubation
Conditions

Comments

Monthly

Daily

































































































































































* "Monthly" indicates the monthly transfers for culture and "Daily" indicates a 24/48 hr serial transfer (added to organism control number)
NR = None Required, TC = Test Culture, applied after daily transfer number
TSB = Tryptic soy broth, NB = nutrient broth


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16.2

TEST MICROBE CONFIRMATION SHEET (Quality Control)
OPP Microbiology Laboratory

Organism/ATCC #:



Organism Control No.:



Supply Control Number (for ampule):



Dale Microbe Initialed:



Lot Number (for ampule):



Notes:



Source:
Tube/Plate ID

Dale/ Initials

Staining
Results*

Media Information

Results

Name

Prep. No.

Inc. Time/
Temp.

Date/
Initials

Colony Characteristics

Vitek #**































































































































* Record Gram stain results: GPC = Gram Positive Cocci; GNR = Gram Negative Rods
** Vitek tracking number and organism identification

TSA = trypticase soy agar, MSA = mannitol salt agar, NA = nutrient agar


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16.3

ORGANISM CULTURE TRACKING FORM for Mycobacterium bovis (BCG)
OPP Microbiology Laboratory

Organism/ATCC #:



Organism Control No.:



Supply Control Number (for ampule):



Date Microbe Initialed:



Lot Number (for ampule):



Notes:



Date

Time

Init.

Subculture Source

Transfer

Media Inoculated
(and # inoculated)

Media Prep No.

Incubation
Conditions

Comments

Month*

Week**













































































































































* Indicates the month of the year the culture was transferred; added to organism control number

** Indicates the week of the month for the transfer (week 1-5); added to organism control number. Note: Weekly (SL or LL) cultures may be used on days 21-25.

SL = slant to liquid (indicates a test culture), LL = liquid to liquid (indicates a test culture), applied after weekly transfer number; NR = None Required; N/A = Not Applicable;
SC = Stock Culture; QC = Quality Control MPB = Modified Proskauer Beck broth, M7H9 = Middlebrook 7H9, M7H11 = Middlebrook 7H11


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16.4

TEST MICROBE CONFIRMATION SHEET (Quality Control) for Mycobacterium bovis (BCG)
OPP Microbiology Laboratory

Organism/ATCC #:



Organism Control No.:



Supply Control Number (for ampule):



Date Microbe Initiated:



Lot Number (for ampule):



Notes:



Source:
Tube/Plate ID

Date/Initials

Staining
Results*

Media Information

Results

Name

Prep. No.

Inc. Time/
Temp.

Date/
Initials

Colony Characteristics

















































































































*Record Acid Fast staining results (AFR = Acid Fast rods)
M7H9 = Middlebrook 7H9, M7H11 = Middlebrook 7H11


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