A Device for the Identification of Microorganisms

Cowan, S. T.; Steel, Karl

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(60)91046-1

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…The use of a prototype Determinator (Cowan & Steel, 1960) was of help in sorting these strains into the different categories, and when this was done the 176 strains gave the reactions shown in Table 1 put into the nearest and the number of discrepancies recorded. When a character was described as d it could not contribute to the discrepancies shown by a strain.…”

Section: No Of Strains Fimbriaementioning

confidence: 99%

A Classification of the Klebsiella Group

Cowan

Steel

Shaw

et al. 1960

Journal of General Microbiology

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SUMMARYKlebsiella strains are divided into six categories on the following reactions: fimbriation, production of gas from glucose a t 37", acid from lactose and dulcitol, methyl red test, acetoin production, citrate, urease, gluconate, malonate, lysine decarboxylase, growth in the presence of KCN and ability to produce gas from lactose a t 44". Five of the six categories are assigned specific rank, the sixth subspecific rank. The tests enable Friedlander's pneumobacillus to be distinguished from Aerobacter aerogenes. A new species, Klebsiella edwardsii, and a new subspecies, K . edwardsii var. atlantae, are named. Neotype strains of old species are proposed, holotypes of the new species and variety designated, and the catalogue numbers in the National Collection of Type Cultures and American Type Culture Collection given.

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Section: No Of Strains Fimbriaementioning

confidence: 99%

A Classification of the Klebsiella Group

Cowan

Steel

Shaw

et al. 1960

Journal of General Microbiology

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“…The comparison of characters is simple only as long as the known characters of the different units are few; mechanical devices help when a moderate number of characters is known (Cowan & Steel, 1960, but when many characters are to be compared a computer becomes invaluable, if not essential (Sneath, 19573). The 8.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Principles and Practice of Bacterial Taxonomy--a Forward Look

Cowan

1965

Journal of General Microbiology

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SUMMARYTaxonomy is divisible into three parts: (1) classification, (2) nomenclature, (3) identification. There are rules of nomenclature but none for classification or identification. S i x principles are postulated for classification of bacteria and three ways of making identifications are discussed. Both classification and identification depend on characterization of the bacterium, but each makes different use of the individual feature. In classification equal weight is given to each independent character; in identification characters are weighted, some as important (distinguishing), others less so. Exception is taken to the retroactive application of the rules of nomenclature, and the unrealistic starting date (1753) of bacterial nomenclature is criticized. Names act merely as labels and it is suggested that a sequential code should be used, not only as a substitute for a name, but as a means of conveying information about the characters of the organism.

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“…This may be because we have a strain that is atypical in some respects, or one that is intermediate between two groups, or perhaps our unknown belongs to a group far from any that we have in our table. Cowan and Steel (1965) give extensive tables for bacteria of medical interest. We can improve the power of our scheme by calculating the degree of match between our unknown and the various groups, and this leads naturally to computer methods.…”

Section: Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is worth noting that in conventional keys for higher organisms the number of characters, m, required to identify T groups is usually such that m about equals T, so that the ratio mIT is around 1.0. In the tables of Cowan and Steel (1965), which must represent about the most efficient scheme for bacteria without a computer, mIT is on the average 1 2, and is never much less than 1, even for the best known groups.…”

Section: Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Computers in bacteriology.

Sneath¹

1969

Journal of Clinical Pathology

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A Device for the Identification of Microorganisms

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

A Classification of the Klebsiella Group

A Classification of the Klebsiella Group

Principles and Practice of Bacterial Taxonomy--a Forward Look

Computers in bacteriology.

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