RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES

This year's British Society for Microbial Technology Annual Microbiology Conference will be held on 11 May at the RAF Museum in Hendon, North London. It will cover a range of different topics but this year there is a particular focus on different aspects of antimicrobial resistance. Here, BSMT Chair Dr Mark Wilks, on behalf of the organising committee, introduces some themes of the meeting.

In September, the fifteenth iteration in the biennial Congress series will return to the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. The full programme is scheduled for launch in March and once again will focus on the very best that biomedical science and commercial colleagues have to offer. Here, IBMS Deputy Chief Executive Sarah May provides a brief preview of this important event on the laboratory medicine calendar.

Following the limiting effect that the various COVID-19 restrictions had on influenza rates over the past two years, infection due to this virus has return with a vengeance this winter. Here, Pathology in Practice Science Editor Brian Nation compiles a small selection of current virology research activity.

Esmita Charani looks at the global issues presented by antimicrobial resistance and considers the strategies and policies that need to be created and properly implemented to tackle the problem at a local level in communities around the world.

Pre-eclampsia remains a common complication during pregnancy, but the methods used to initially determine the presence of the disease still rely on simple non-specific parameters. Testing for placental growth factor has huge potential to improve management of a condition that is challenging to diagnose explains Dawn Hannah, clinical educator at Quidel.

NHS patients throughout the West Midlands are to benefit from a digital pathology programme delivered by Sectra, designed to help reduce cancer backlogs, transform services, and improve the speed and accuracy of cancer diagnosis.

Two companies have recently joined forces with the aim of reducing errors in the preanalytical phase following blood collection and before samples arrive in the laboratory.

Sanj Lallie of Source LDPath looks at the benefits of transitioning to a digital pathology workflow and charts a vision of a virtual histopathology department for every NHS trust.

The emerging technology of on-demand printers can offer significant benefits to histology laboratories and pathology procedures, while also facilitating error reduction, explains Lauraline Winter.

New point-of-care testing technology boasts rapidly expanding capabilities, and a new piece of equipment from HORIBA offers under-pressure NHS frontline staff laboratory-accurate tests within minutes, allowing them to make quicker treatment decisions.

Recent media coverage has highlighted the relatively new technology involving mRNA that has found application in COVID vaccination, but also in the treatment of cancer. The mRNA technology works by sending instructions to cells to produce an antigen or protein, thus enabling the immune system to target cells for destruction. Here, Science Editor Brian Nation compiles a small selection of activity in this important research.

The first post-pandemic Point of Care Testing: Innovations conference took place during September in Bristol, with Tony Cambridge’s Thornhill Events bringing together a diverse programme of speakers to discuss the future of decentralised diagnostics.

Richard Craven of CliniSys considers some of the big developments in pathology and how technology will help laboratories to confront current challenges while preparing for the future of personalised medicine.

Offering improved cancer diagnosis processes in the face of increased pressures and workloads is a huge challenge for NHS laboratories. Here Daniel Plews of Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland, explains how pioneering digital pathology in partnership with the NHS is helping to meet that challenge.

Endoscopy is considered the ‘gold standard’ method for investigating dyspeptic symptoms caused by Helicobacter pylori. Professor Peter Malfertheiner discusses the advantages offered by non-invasive ‘serological biopsy’ in the gastric cancer care pathway and management of atrophic gastritis.

The early stages of chronic kidney disease are usually asymptomatic, with diagnosis only achieved following blood or urine tests undertaken for another reason. Now, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance is highlighting the value of these simple tests, which have been the focus of a recently published study.

Nicola Swarbrick, Laboratory Incident Specialist at the Serious Hazards of Transfusion scheme, presents the key findings and recommendations from its 2021 report, which also marks 25 years since it was created to oversee and review haemovigilance reporting.

Earlier this year the UK NEQAS Blood Coagulation annual meeting made its return to the Sheffield Hallam University city-centre campus. Chris Reilly-Stitt reports on the presentations made at the event.

Infectious disease testing for three West Midlands hospital trusts has been centralised at the Coventry and Warwickshire Pathology Services laboratories. However, when the pandemic hit, there was a need for rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing at each trust. Here, Lisa Berry and Mandip Hira discuss the decision to decentralise testing, and how this helped to streamline patient management for all infectious disease testing.

Every September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month raises awareness and understanding of blood cancers, supported by the charity Blood Cancer UK. The focus in 2022 was on highlighting the symptoms and signs of the various diseases that fall under the umbrella term of blood cancer. To complement this, Pathology in Practice Science Editor Brian Nation compiles a small selection of current research activity.