SMT LABS

02/06/2026

Some of the most important discoveries in science begin with a simple question: what if prevention is possible?

In June, Mad About Micro turns to Ignaz Semmelweis, the physician who helped establish the life-saving importance of hand hygiene long before germs were fully understood. While working in maternity wards during the 1800s, Semmelweis observed a devastating pattern of infection and mortality among patients and began searching for its cause.

His conclusion was groundbreaking for the time: proper hand washing dramatically reduced the spread of disease. By introducing hand disinfection practices among medical staff, he achieved a significant drop in patient deaths, laying the foundation for modern infection prevention and hygiene protocols.

Although his ideas were initially resisted, Semmelweis’s work became one of the earliest and most important demonstrations of how microorganisms can spread through human contact and how science-based hygiene practices save lives.

This month, we explore how hand hygiene became one of the most powerful tools in microbiology, healthcare, food safety, and contamination prevention.

This is where prevention started with clean hands.

Follow the Mad About Micro series throughout 2026 as we explore the minds, methods, and moments that continue to shape modern microbiology and the science behind safer food, water, and environments.

Mad About Micro
Because understanding microbes changes everything.

27/05/2026

May’s Mad About Micro spotlight connects Robert Koch’s legacy to modern water safety.

Koch helped prove that microorganisms can cause disease and that contaminated water can spread illness.
Today, that same scientific thinking lives on in standards like SANS 241, South Africa’s official drinking water quality standard.

With the latest shift from SANS 241:2015 to SANS 241:2025, the focus moves from testing and reacting to predicting and preventing, helping water providers identify risks earlier and protect public health more effectively.

21/05/2026

Water quality is no longer just about testing samples. It’s about understanding risk before it becomes a problem.

In this article, we unpack the evolving landscape of water quality management under SANS 241:2025 and why proactive, risk-based monitoring is becoming essential for protecting public health, compliance, and consumer confidence.

From microbiological threats and environmental contamination to real-time monitoring and modern laboratory diagnostics, the future of water safety requires far more than a once-off test result.

Safe water starts with science, vigilance, and informed decision-making.

💧 Read the full article here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sans-241-1-2-2015-vs-241-2025-dr-shirleen-coetzer-un5mf

Water quality is no longer just about testing samples. It’s about understanding risk before it becomes a problem. In this article, we unpack the evolving landscape of water quality management under SANS 241:2025 and why proactive, risk-based monitoring is becoming essential for protecting public h...

20/05/2026

Before microbiology could prove cause, it first had to connect the dots.

In the late 1800s, Robert Koch transformed scientific understanding by demonstrating that specific microorganisms are responsible for specific diseases.

Through his work on tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax, Koch did more than identify pathogens. He introduced a structured approach to proving causation, now known as Koch’s Postulates, which set the standard for linking microbes to disease with certainty.

This marked a critical shift. Microbiology was no longer limited to observation. It became a science of verification, repeatability, and proof.
Today, accredited laboratories continue to follow these same principles. Isolate. Identify. Confirm. Ensure accuracy at every step.

Because in microbiology, it must be proven.

Mad About Micro continues next week as we explore how these principles are applied in modern laboratory testing environments.

15/05/2026

Food safety is not static. As regulations evolve and risks become more complex, adapting to industry trends is essential for maintaining compliance, protecting animal health, and ensuring product integrity.

Our latest blog explores how staying aligned with emerging standards, technologies, and testing practices supports better decision-making across the veterinary and agricultural sectors. From proactive risk management to improved quality assurance, adaptation is key to long-term success.

At SMT Vet, science-based testing supports a safer, more resilient food chain.

Read more here:
https://smtvet.co.za/the-importance-of-adapting-to-industry-trends-in-food-safety/

Tested. Trusted. Accurate.

13/05/2026

We're hiring! SMT Labs is looking for an experienced Admin Clerk, to join our team in Centurion.

Requirements:
Skilled in admin
Strong attention to detail and accuracy
Proficiency in MS Office
Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines
A Bsc (or similar) in science will count in your favour
Own transport would be preferential

Duties:
Receiving stock
Loading stock on to Computer system
Purchasing of lab supplies
Requesting quotations and ordering stock where necessary
Requesting approval for purchases
Applications for permits
Assisting with other administrative tasks where necessary
Assisting in LIMS data control
Assisting in Laboratory with testing (Applicable for applicants with a Bsc (or similar) in science)

Deadline for applications: 23 May 2026
Submit your CV and cover letter to [email protected] (Subject: ADMIN CLERK CENTURION)

If you have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

13/05/2026

Pathogen identification is one of the most important breakthroughs in microbiology.
Not because it observes disease, but because it proves its cause.
Developed by Robert Koch, this method established a systematic way to link specific microorganisms to specific diseases through controlled scientific investigation.
By isolating microbes, growing them in pure culture, and reproducing disease under controlled conditions, Koch transformed microbiology into evidence-based science. His work confirmed that diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax are caused by identifiable pathogens.
From food safety and water testing to clinical and veterinary diagnostics, pathogen identification remains fundamental to modern laboratory science.
Modern microbiological testing is supported by laboratory processes to ensure accurate identification, compliance, and scientific confidence.

Watch out for our Mad About Micro series each month and join us this May as we explore Robert Koch’s discoveries and examine how pathogen identification continues to shape microbiological testing in laboratories today.

12/05/2026

We're hiring! SMT VET Lab has a position open for an Assistant Veterinary Technologist /Lab analyst (Microbiologist) in Irene, Pretoria.

Requirements:
• N.Dip/BHSc in Veterinary technology/BSc degree in Microbiology or relevant degree
• Veterinary technologist should be registered at SAVC
• Own transport
• Innovative and strategic thinker
• Willing to work overtime as well as on weekends

Key responsibilities:
• Processing and testing of samples, including administration and quality control.
• Maintain adherence to ISO 17025 stipulations while implementing all the above.

Competencies:
Ability to work in a team, as well as independently without supervision.
Good written and verbal communication skills: English.
Computer skills.

Please submit your CV to [email protected] (Subject: Assistant Vet Tech/Lab analyst) before or on 23 May 2026.

If you have not been contacted within two weeks, please accept that your application was unsuccessful.

10/05/2026

To the mothers and mother figures who nurture, guide, and protect, today we celebrate you.
Whether at home, in the lab, or in the field, care takes many forms and it’s this dedication to wellbeing that makes a lasting difference.

Wishing you a day filled with appreciation, rest, and the moments that matter most.

07/05/2026

Every scientific breakthrough brings clarity to what was once uncertain.

In May, Mad About Micro turns to Robert Koch, the scientist who proved that specific microorganisms cause specific diseases. At a time when illness was often misunderstood, Koch’s work introduced a new level of precision to microbiology.

Through his research on diseases such as anthrax, tuberculosis, and cholera, he developed what would become known as Koch’s Postulates, a set of principles used to link pathogens to disease. His methods transformed microbiology from observation into structured, evidence-based science.

Koch’s work did more than identify harmful microorganisms. It established the foundations for diagnostic testing, laboratory standards, and the controlled study of infectious agents, principles that continue to guide modern microbiology laboratories today.

This month, we explore how defining the relationship between microbes and disease shaped the way laboratories test, confirm, and protect.

This is where microbiology became measurable.

Follow the Mad About Micro series throughout 2026 as we explore the minds, methods, and moments that continue to shape modern microbiology and the science behind safer food, water, and environments.

Mad About Micro
Because understanding microbes changes everything.