The Australian Water Quality Centre (AWQC) has become the first laboratory in Australia to apply accredited bacterial DNA testing technology specifically to optimise water quality management.
The AWQC recently attained full National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation for its bacterial DNA molecular analysis.
AWQC’s Manager of Field and Life Science Services, Dr Thorsten Mosisch, said the bacterial DNA testing method enables them to characterise entire microbial communities. It has revealed a diversity of microorganisms not seen before due to their difficulty in successfully being isolated by traditional culture methods.
“The AWQC has an unrivalled track record of developing and validating more effective testing methods for detecting waterborne pathogens to protect public health. It remains a leader in microbiological testing and analysis,” Mosisch said.
“Proper assessment of pathogens is essential for operational decision making. This is the case when improving water treatment processes to prevent waterborne disease outbreaks.
“The most likely health risk associated with drinking water is contamination by microbiological pathogens. The ongoing safety of water supplies relies on microbial testing.
“In response, we have developed advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) DNA testing methods to optimise water quality management.
“As part of this, we have curated the most extensive DNA database of waterborne microbiological pathogens in Australia and developed molecular testing methods that provide unrivalled pathogen testing results for a broad range of applications.”
Getting approved by NATA for bacterial DNA testing
To achieve and retain NATA accreditation requires a stringent process. It involves regular reviews and audits of the laboratory undertaken by independent experts.
“Attaining NATA accreditation for bacterial DNA molecular analysis is a fantastic achievement. I’m extremely proud of everyone’s hard work and persistence in making it happen,” Mosisch said.
“We are the first water industry laboratory that is NATA accredited for molecular analysis in Australia. We join specialised pathology and genomics laboratories and hospitals with NATA accreditation.
“This gives us an advantage in a very competitive environment and has significant benefits for improving public health, water quality research and informing operational decision-making.”
For more information, visit awqc.com.au.
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