Unlike our counterparts in the chemical world, consistently precise and accurate results from pharmaceutical microorganism quality control are encountered less often. In other words, quantitative microbiological testing allows for fairly large discrepancies in the results due to the inherent difficulties in dealing with living organisms as well as quantifying them.

Acholeplasma is a genus of gram negative bacilli belonging to the Mollicutes class. Mollicutes include Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma. Mollicutes lack a cell wall and are of very small size (200-300 nm) and have a small genome. Since Mollicutes cannot produce many of the enzymes needed to survive they are parasitic on eukaryotic cells.

Staphylococcus aureus, is a species of Gram-positive spherical bacteria that commonly causes surgical and skin infections, bacteremia (bacteria in the blood) and food poisoning. It’s a ubiquitous microorganism, and can be found on the skin of warm blooded animals.

Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is a Gram positive bacteria that prefers anaerobic (without air) growth conditions1. Cutibacterium acnes can be found on the skin of virtually every human, and it is one of the bacteria that can cause acne.