Education about medical microbiology

The department of Medical Microbiology is involved in education in a variety of ways.
  • We offer degree programs which train students to become medical microbiologists and medical molecular microbiologists.
  • Medical Microbiology contributes to the degree program which trains students to become infectiologists.
  • Medical interns can come to receive a brief introduction to medical microbiology.
  • Researchers in training and students (WO and HBO) can come to our department for education and internships.
  • We offer a degree program which trains students to become infection prevention experts.

Degree program medical microbiologist

The degree program which trains students to becoming a medical microbiologist can be taken after the Medicine study program and lasts for 5 years. During the degree program, students are taught to provide support in the field of infectious diseases. Students also learn to carry out the following tasks:
  • laboratory diagnostics
  • peer consultation
  • laboratory management
  • policy formation and development of protocols and guidelines
  • epidemiology of infectious diseases and hospital hygiene
  • public healthcare
  • providing information, education, and training
  • scientific research

Upon completion, students are registered as medical microbiologists in the register of specialists (MSRC). View the entire degree program curriculum on the website of the Nederlandse Vereniging Medische Microbiologie (Netherlands association of medical microbiology). 

Medical Molecular Microbiologist degree program

The Medical Molecular Microbiologist (MMM) degree program delves deeper into the development, performance, and interpretation of molecular diagnostic research in microbiology.

This two-year degree program begins after registration as a Medical Microbiological Researcher (MMO) with the Stichting voor Opleiding tot Medisch-Biologisch Wetenschappelijk Onderzoeker (SMBWO - Foundation for the training of medical-biological scientific researchers). Information about the MMO degree program can be found in the Medical Microbiology section on the  website of SMBWO.

The degree program is divided into 3 periods. After each period, an evaluation by the instructor will follow. The general format is as follows:
  • 18 months of molecular diagnostics and molecular epidemiology
  • 4 months of conventional bacteriology, virology, parasitology, mycology, and serology
  • 2 months of infection prevention, quality, management, and education

As a Medical Molecular Microbiologist in training, you will record your progress in a log book. You will discuss this with your instructor. They will sign your log book.

After a discussion in the general assembly of the Concilium Microbiologicum Medicum (MMM), you will receive the certificate of “Medical Molecular Microbiologist”. Next, you will be entered into the MMM register of the Nederlands Vereniging voor Medische Microbiologie (Netherlands association for medical microbiology).
Read the full description of the Medical Molecular Microbiologist degree program and the professional profile on the website of the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Medische Microbiologie.

Clinical Mycology course for interns

Clinical mycology is a small but significant part of medical microbiology. Mold can cause serious infections in patients with weakened immune resistance. That is why it is very important to start with the right antifungal agent in the proper dosage to the patient. The course is specifically designed for PhD candidates in medical microbiology and is annually offered by the Expertisecentrum voor Schimmelinfecties (Expertise center for fungal infections) of Radboud university medical center/CWZ hospital.
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About the department of Medical Microbiology

At the department of Medical Microbiology, we conduct diagnostic research and provide treatment advice. We work on tracking, diagnosing, and treating infectious diseases caused by microorganisms, e.g. by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. read more

About the department of Medical Microbiology

At the department of Medical Microbiology, we conduct diagnostic research and provide treatment advice. We work on tracking, diagnosing, and treating infectious diseases caused by microorganisms, e.g. by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi.
 

Work method

If a doctor or treating specialist suspects that an infection is the cause of an illness, they will have samples taken from the patient: blood, urine, excrement, swab test, biopsy, or cerebrospinal fluid. Our analysts will check whether this material contains microorganisms that cause infection and illness. Microorganisms include parasites, mold, yeasts, bacteria, and viruses. The medical microbiologist will discuss the results with the treating physician and make recommendations for treatment and any further diagnostics. Our infection prevention experts also ensure that the guidelines regarding the spread of (resistant) microorganisms are adhered to in our hospital and in the associated institutions in the environment. In this way, we prevent the microorganisms from spreading.
 

Research techniques

Depending on the clinical case of the patient, we will conduct a variety of research:
  • Cultivation of bacteria or mold and examining their sensitivity to antibiotics.
  • Detecting parasites using a microscope.
  • Detecting microorganisms using molecular technology, such as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  • Serological testing to detect exposure to various microorganisms.
  • Testing to detect antigens from microorganisms.

ISO accreditation quality certification mark

The patient care laboratory of our department is ISO 15189 accredited: registration number M135. This means that the quality of our laboratory is regularly tested by an independent party (ISO) and they assess that the quality of our lab meets the applicable standards. go to website

Diagnostic operations in our medical handbook

In our laboratory, people can reference hundreds of different diagnostic operations. All Medical Microbiology diagnostic operations can be found in the Radboud university medical center e-lab guide. read more

Diagnostic operations in our medical handbook

In our laboratory, people can reference hundreds of different diagnostic operations. All Medical Microbiology diagnostic operations can be found in the Radboud university medical center e-lab guide.

Go to the e-lab guide
For some operations, we collaborate with other high-quality laboratories. In order to make the quality and competencies of our operations available for review, a statement of competencies for outsourced research has been created. You can download this and print it out for your administration.

Contact

Department of Medical Microbiology

+31 24 361 43 56

Address and route

Entrance: Radboudumc main entrance (hoofdingang)
Route: 777

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Address and route

Visiting address

Radboudumc main entrance
Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10
6525 GA Nijmegen

Post address

P.O. Box 9101
6500 HB Nijmegen
Internal post 777
 

Directions

Go to Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10
travel by car travel with public transport
Enter building at: Radboudumc main entrance (hoofdingang)
more information
Follow route 777

Our focus areas

Education about medical microbiology

The department of Medical Microbiology is involved in education in a variety of ways. readmore

Hygiene and Infection Prevention

The Hygiene and Infection team (HIP) advises healthcare departments in our hospital about preventing infections. This is important because the patients at Radboud university medical center have (temporarily) reduced immune resistance. They are susceptible to infection. read more

Research

Our department also conducts scientific research. read more

Our labs

Bacteriology

In our bacteriology laboratory, we perform diagnostics in the field of bacterial infections. Medical microbiologists conduct many consults regarding the interpretation of testing and results. read more

Bacteriology

In our bacteriology laboratory, we perform diagnostics in the field of bacterial infections. Medical microbiologists conduct many consults regarding the interpretation of testing and results. We also provide treatment recommendations to individual treatment providers and during multidisciplinary consultations. An example of this is daily antibiotic stewardship: discussion in collaboration with the internist-infectiologist and hospital pharmacists at our hospital.
 
Radboud university medical center is a tertiary referral center for orthopedic infections. For this reason, we pay a great deal of attention to improving on the diagnostics in this field as well as making them more efficient.
Special attention is given to correctly performing susceptibility testing and research into resistance development, including the use of whole genome sequencing.

Clinical virology

Clinical virology provides rapid, adequate virological diagnostics and consultation for various patient groups inside and outside of Radboud university medical center. read more

Clinical virology

Clinical virology provides rapid, adequate virological diagnostics and consultation for various patient groups inside and outside of Radboud university medical center. In addition to standard serological and molecular diagnostics for patients at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd levels of care, virological diagnostics focuses on specific patient groups at the academic medical center: 
  • Immune-compromised patients (due to transplants, hematological malignancies, immune diseases, congenital disease, or medication).
  • Patients with HIV and/or chronic hepatitis.
  • Patient groups for which the Radboud university medical center operates as a knowledge center: 
    • The department of Medical Microbiology at Radboud university center, along with the AMC and the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) component of the Landelijk Expert Centrum Lyme (National Lyme expertise center). To do that, we perform high-quality diagnostics in the field of infections with Borrelia spp and we provide supporting consultation via a team of infectiologists and microbiologists.
    • We conduct extensive Q-fever diagnostics in support of the Radboud Q-fever Expertise Center. This center was founded to optimize multidisciplinary care for (chronic) Q fever patients. 
The department of Medical Microbiology also provides screening for human papilloma virus (HPV) for population studies into cervical cancer.

Medical parasitology

Our laboratory provides diagnostics into all parasitic infections. We have special expertise in the field of malaria diagnostics. read more

Medical parasitology

Our laboratory provides diagnostics into all parasitic infections. We have special expertise in the field of malaria diagnostics. 

Malaria diagnostics entail:
  • Suspicion of acute infection: CITO diagnostic (024-818 70 95) microscopy using QBC, thick smear, swab.
  • Exclusion of exposure in the past: serology. 
  • Suspicion of very low infection (tropical splenomegaly syndrome): serology and PCR.
  • Confirming positive microscopy or species: PCR.
Other parasitological diagnostics can be found in our medical handbook. 

Our infectiologists and medical microbiologists also offer consultative services for the support of diagnostics and treatment of tropical and parasitic infections.

Myco­bacteriology

In the laboratory for Mycobacteriology, we provide all facets of clinical mycobacteriology.

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Myco­bacteriology

In the laboratory for Mycobacteriology, we provide all facets of clinical mycobacteriology. Our goal is to optimize the diagnostics and treatment of mycobacterial infections in both the Netherlands and abroad. In our laboratory, we conduct both cultivation and susceptibility testing for patient care and research under biosafety class 3 (BSL-3) conditions. In our laboratory, we are also able to work with other BSL-3 pathogens, e.g. Brucella species, Francisella species, and Histoplasma species.

We are a leading international laboratory in the field of susceptibility testing for non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) and in the cultivation of mycobacteria that are difficult to grow. Examples of these are Mycobacterium haemophilum and Mycobacterium genavense. We comply with all the relevant guidelines in this field and send our samples around Europe for quality control. We work closely with an international team of highly respected lung specialists, infectiologists, and medical microbiologists on providing consultative services to support the diagnostics and therapy of mycobacterial infections.

T (024)361 89 51
E for clinical inquiries: jakko.vaningen@radboudumc.nl
nicolien.hanemaaijer@radboudumc.nl
E for laboratory results tuberculoseuitslagen.mmb@radboudumc.nl

Mycology

The mycology laboratory researches patient samples for the presence of fungal infections. We use microscopy, cultivation, serology, and molecular testing to detect fungal infections. read more

Mycology

The mycology laboratory researches patient samples for the presence of fungal infections. To do this, we use microscopy, cultivation, serology, and molecular testing. In addition to the identification of fungal infections, susceptibility testing is conducted in vitro. The mycology laboratory is part of the Expertisecentrum voor Schimmelinfecties (Center of Expertise in Mycology) of Radboud university medical center/CWZ hospital. This center performs diagnostics and consultations for patients with fungal infections who are undergoing treatment at Radboud university medical center, CWZ hospital, and other hospitals.