Microbiology for Non-Microbiologists - Live Online Training
Understand the "true" meaning of microbiological findings
14/15 April 2026
Course No. 22502
Target Group
This Live Online Training is designed for responsible personnel from production, quality assurance, regulatory affairs and engineering that has to make judgements, release products and take actions on the basis of the microbiological data supplied.
Objectives
It is the aim of this Live Online Training to familiarise responsible personnel from production, quality assurance and engineering with microbiological questions. The participants learn how to interpret microbiological data and which consequences these have for the production.
Background
The quality of drugs and the quality assurance during production are above all determined by their microbiological characteristics. The microbiological requirements on drugs are laid down in various regulations. When an authority inspects a company, it will focus its attention on these and on the requirements made on hygiene.
In their daily work, the responsible personnel in the production units has to understand microbiological results and evaluate their significance for further decisions. However, in practice many microbiological results are misinterpreted and thus often the wrong conclusions are drawn from them. When asked for the most frequent misinterpretations of microbiological results, pharmaceutical microbiologists gave the following answers.
The difference between bioburden and sterility testing (are they the same?)
The use of disinfectants guarantees the sterility of the object, surface, culture treated.
The distribution of microorganisms in a sample or on a surface is uniform.
Motile microorganisms can swim hundreds of meters in an hour causing contamination problems in remote parts of the facility.
How can different media formulations give different results?
Microbial tests described in the Pharmacopoeias can always be validated, no matter what the matrix is, how aggressive it is, e.g. NaOH, how high the concentrations of antibiotics are etc.
Identification results are absolute and unequivocal, especially when computer-generated.
Underestimating the importance of cleaning prior to disinfection.
Environmental monitoring results provide an accurate risk assessment during production.
How can clean room surfaces not be heavily contaminated when the air counts are out of specification?
How can endotoxins be present when the bioburden is nil?
How can the titre of a virus reference standard change according to the detection cell line used?
WFI is sterile.
Filters are absolute.
UV light disinfects and is capable of sterilising surfaces and water.
This listing appears to cover all aspects of microbiology from the interpretation of straight forward issues concerning environmental monitoring, bioburden results and identifications – through to the more complex issues surrounding virology results for the biologics/biotech people.
The misinterpretation of microbiological results often gives rise to the following misunderstandings:
Huge environmental monitoring programmes (more is better).
Rejection of batches due to minor out-of- specification results.
Delayed registration objectives and to attend appeal hearings.
Numerous contamination incidents due to the application of inappropriate solutions to problems.
Senseless promises made to regulatory authorities without scientific rationale based on the concept of Quality.
Growth kinetics – laboratory culture versus nature
Effect of stress factors on growth
Microbial Identification Techniques
What is the significance of a name?
Distribution of microorganisms in nature, raw materials and water
Distribution of microorganisms in pharmaceutical facilities
Detection Methods and their Limitations
What can be detected by:
The sterility test
The bioburden test in its various forms:
Membrane filtration, pour plate, spread plate, MPN
The test for specified organisms
The endotoxin test
Limits of detection and factors effecting limits of detection
Microbiological Methods: Suitability Test vs. Method Validation
The difference between a Method Suitability Test (MST) and a Method Validation will be explained using selected examples:
The practical realization of a MST of a Microbial Enumeration Test (Ph.Eu. 2.6.12 / USP <61>) and a Sterility Test (Ph.Eu. 2.6.1/ USP <71>) is presented
The Method Validation of a Rapid Sterility Test according to Ph.Eu. 5.1.6 / TR33 / USP <1223> is shown
Cleaning, Sanitation, Disinfection
Why cleaning before disinfection?
The difference between cleaning and disinfection
Disinfectants and their efficacy
Methods of disinfection
Disinfection validation
Environmental Monitoring
Sampling techniques - Air sampling - Surfaces - Settle plates
Technical limitations and interpretation of results
Is there a relationship between high results and contaminated product?
Pharmaceutical Water - Microbiological Control and Deviation Management
Regulatory requirements
Warning and action Limits
Measures to be taken when warning and action Limits are exceeded
Repeated non-conforming results
Examples of warning and action limit exceedance
Source of microbial contamination, biofilms
Sterilisation Methods
Principles and kinetics of sterilisation
Selection of sterilisation method
Types of sterilisation methods
Validation of the sterilisation process
Validation of Microbial Test Methods
Basic principles of validating a microbial test system
What approaches can you take when a microbial assay test cannot be validated?
How to Handle Microbiological OOS Results
Typical Out-Of-Specification results
Sterility testing
Bioburden
Endotoxin testing
Cleanroom monitoring
Investigation of causal connection
Laboratory failure investigations
Sampling/process/production failure Investigation
Type of microorganisms
Deviations/incidents/assessment
Deviation/investigation report
Retesting/Reanalysis/Resampling
Definitions
Calculation of mean values
Rejection/Release
Examples and Case Studies Sessions The aim of these special sessions is to provide participants with practical experience of the basics of microbiological deviations and trouble shootings and the difficulties associated with evaluation. On the basis of real cases, sources of contamination, possibilities of root cause analysis and the determination of corrective and preventive measures are shown.
Further Information
Technical Requirements We use Webex for our live online training courses and webinars. At https://www.gmp-compliance.org/training/online-training-technical-information you will find all the information you need to participate in our events and you can check if your system meets the necessary requirements to participate. If the installation of browser extensions is not possible due to your rights in the IT system, please contact your IT department. Webex is a standard nowadays and the necessary installation is fast and easy.
Fees (per delegate plus VAT) ECA Members € 1,890 APIC Members € 1,990 Non-ECA Members € 2,090 EU GMP Inspectorates € 1,045 The fee is payable in advance after receipt of invoice.
Presentations/Certificate The presentations will be made available to you prior to the Live Online Training as PDF files. After the event, you will automatically receive your certificate of participation.
Conference language The official conference language will be English.
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