Problems that merit investigation in clinical microbiology laboratories

Research is needed in the following areas in clinical microbiology: specimen collection, microbial identification, automation and instrumentation, rapid microbial diagnoses, microbial metabolism, computerization, relevance and laboratory utilization, physician influence, training in clinical microbiology, media and reagents, quality control, and antimicrobial susceptibility and assay determinations. For optimal progress in many of these categories, federal funding should be made available.