The Department of Microbiology got established in the year 1996 as a part of teaching facility in the Basic Medical Science for the II year BDS students and I year MDS from Sept. 2017 onwards for 8 branches of dentistry excluding Orthodontics. Syllabus set according to DCI norms and implemented.
It has faculty strength of 1 HOD and 2 Sr. Lecturers. Apart from the Academic work of teaching and training of UG and PG students, it extends its services, in bringing out project activities with Dental Sciences and Basic Sciences (Chemistry).
The responsibility of reporting day to day diagnostic samples lies with the department to ensure prompt and quality reporting of for SRM General Hospital and SRM Dental College.
The department encompasses an area of 2350 sq, ft. of Students Practical Hall and 1000 sq. ft. of diagnostic Lab. The student’s practical Hall has facility to carry out exercises individually to for nearly 55 students at a time. Gas connection for 50 individual burners and water tap connection with sink for students is provided. There is provision for lighting facility for each individual microscope with separate hood. The practical hall is furnished with separate seating facility in the form of revolving stool for each candidate.
There is separate area earmarked with the seating facility functioning as seminar hall which can accommodate 50 students, with OHP facility and black board facility. The entire practical hall is having adequate ventilation and lighting with decontamination facility.
There are 9 inbuilt microscopes and 26 Labomed microscopes available for student’s use. There is a department Library where reference volumes are stocked. Library also stores, albums made by students. The practical Hall displays charts and models exhibiting the time line, the current trend and future projects in Microbiology for benefit of the students.
Diagnostic Lab
Specimen processing, preparation of media, Sterilization of glass wares, maintenance of stock culture, washing and de contamination are carried out on day to day basis. Documentation for SOP regarding maintenance of Lab and Equipments and SOP for test procedure and follow up in stock of raw materials, prepared media and reagents and including antibiotic disc is maintained.
SOP is also maintained for cleaning and air sterility check in the containment area within the lab according to the norms of Biosafety Level 2. Filtered air facility is available for specimen processing and project activities. Decontamination and washing of glass wares is confined to a separate wash area facility.
State Of The Art Equipment
For sterilization purposes there are two autoclaves (One for sterilization of culture media and glass wares and the second one for decontamination). A new autoclave was purchased with a capacity of 45 litres and got customised to our use. Other amenities like, recently purchased Electronic Balance, digital pH meter, colony counter and Membrane Filtration Unit functioning under negative pressure is available in the department.
Other equipments like incubator, CO2 Incubator, water bath, centrifuge, Nikkon Binocular Microscope and Orbital shaker is also available in the department. Refrigerators are available for stock storage of antibiotic discs, prepared culture media and cultures are stored. Water, power and gas facility is provided to the diagnostic lab.