Izoláty

Izoláty is the plural form of izolát in Czech and Slovak, a term used in science to refer to samples that have been separated from a mixture or source for further study. The concept applies across disciplines, including microbiology, chemistry, and biochemistry, where an isolate is a material obtained in a purified or identifiable form.

In microbiology and virology, an isolát denotes a biological sample derived from a particular source, such as a patient, an environmental site, or a culture, that has been separated and often cultured to obtain a homogeneous population. Clinical, environmental, and environmental-health isolates are characterized by their genetic, phenotypic, and biochemical properties and are typically stored in culture collections with metadata that document origin, date, and methods. Isolates are used for diagnostics, epidemiology, taxonomy, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and genomic sequencing. It is important to recognize that an isolate may not fully represent the diversity of the species from which it originated, due to sampling and culture biases.

In chemistry and biochemistry, izoláty also refer to compounds purified from a mixture. Isolation involves separating the target substance from impurities or other components, often through extraction, chromatography, crystallization, or other purification techniques. Such isolates enable detailed structural, physical, and functional analyses.

Handling isolates, especially pathogenic ones, requires appropriate biosafety and ethical considerations, including proper containment, record-keeping, and data sharing in accordance with legal and institutional guidelines.