Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute: Fungal identification and strain typing

Identification and Strain Typing Facility

Accurate identification of unknown microbial isolates is essential, as assigning a correct name unlocks a wide range of biological, ecological, and applied information. The Westerdijk Institute offers a dedicated facility for the identification and strain typing of filamentous fungi, yeasts, and bacteria, building on its long-standing expertise in fungal biodiversity and systematics.

The identification service is based primarily on DNA sequence data and is often complemented by phenotypic and morphological characterization. The Institute hosts experts covering all major fungal groups, ensuring state-of-the-art identification supported by extensive reference collections and taxonomic knowledge.

Strain typing is used to gain insight into the genetic diversity within species and is particularly valuable for tracking and comparing isolates. This approach is widely applied for root cause analysis of fungal contaminations or investigating nosocomial outbreaks, allowing discrimination between closely related strains and supporting source tracking.

• Sequence-based identification using barcoding genes, supplemented with phenotypic and morphological characterization where relevant
• Strain typing to distinguish between different strains within the same species

The facility supports a broad range of users, for example:

• Academic researchers
• Quality control laboratories
• Pharmaceutical, biotechnological, food, and healthcare industries

By combining molecular, phenotypic, and taxonomic expertise, the Westerdijk Institute provides reliable identification and strain typing services that support research, quality assurance, and applied microbiology.