Molecular Microbiological Methods—Sample Handling and Laboratory Processing

This standard is applicable to operators, service companies, third-party laboratories, consultants, and universities that perform molecular techniques to identify microorganisms in industrial settings, including microorganisms involved in microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), biogenic production of hydrogen sulfide (a process also known as souring), and biofouling in industrial settings and organizations that manage assets affected by corrosion threats. This standard should be used to select appropriate procedures for sample collection, preservation, laboratory processing, and data analysis.

As the use of Molecular Microbiological Methods (MMM) increases in numerous industries, the pursuit of consistent, comparable results by different users of these methods requires the standardization of procedures and methods.¹ This standard provides guidelines to enable different laboratories to utilize consistent methodologies to generate comparable genetic data on environmental samples.¹