Dr Michael Ford has worked in Microbiology for over 30 years and was appointed Microbiology Laboratory Manager for the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust in 2014. Michael has a wide experience in all areas of diagnostic service provision. He has recently worked very closely with Public Health England which resulted in the transfer of their Newcastle services into the Trust. A key part of this was the setting up of a new molecular diagnostic service for Newcastle. His main research area involved developing novel methods of bacterial identification, which resulted in a number of publications and two successful patents for the development of novel selective media. He has been a lecturer at Northumbria University on both the BSc and MSc Microbiology programmes. Michael has also been a key member of the IBMS Scientific Advisory Panel for Microbiology and IBMS Deputy Chief Examiner.

• 1: Michael Ford: Introduction to Microbiology


• 2: John Perry: Culture media


• 3: John Perry: Identification tests


• 4: Jenny Andrews: Susceptibility testing and antibiotic assay


• 5: Derek Law: Blood cultures


• 6: Clive Graham: Investigation of urine samples


• 7: Steve Davies and Mark Tovey: Investigation of wound, tissue and genital samples


• 8: Derek Law: Examination of cerebrospinal fluid and fluids from sterile sites


• 9: Louise Hill-King: Investigation of respiratory samples


• 10: Michael Ford and Kathy Nye: Investigation of gastrointestinal specimens


• 11: Tony Worthington: Clinical Parasitology


• 12: Sheila Morgan and Michael Ford: Infection prevention and control


• 13: Jayne Harwood: Laboratory investigations of viral infections


• 14: Derek Law: Clinical mycology


• 15: Lynn Dover: Bacterial Pathogenesis


• 16: Michael Ford and Jayne Harwood: Molecular diagnostics


• 17: Michael Ford: Whole Genome Sequencing in Microbiology


• 18: Malcolm Holliday: Procedures for sample collection, transport and processing