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Written by the Biotia team and our collaborators, learn more about the infectious diseases we address, the science of clinical metagenomics, and more.

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Diagnosing UTIs

Why Did My Urine Culture Come Back Negative?

You had the symptoms. You took the test. The result came back negative. Here is what is actually happening — and what to do next.

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Curated reading

Series worth reading start to finish

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UTI 101

What a UTI is, how it's diagnosed, how it's treated, and what to do when first-line care isn't enough.

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Series

Antimicrobial Resistance

Why resistance is reshaping UTI care, how it spreads, and how better diagnostics restore treatment options.

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Series

Clinical Metagenomics

Understanding the different next-generation sequencing approaches for infectious diseases.

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Anatomical pencil illustration of human kidneys, ureters, and connecting blood vessels

Interstitial Cystitis vs. UTI: What Is the Difference?

UTI and IC/BPS share symptoms but need different treatment. Learn how to tell them apart, why misdiagnosis happens, and what a negative urine culture can mean.

Diagnosing UTIs
Woman with long dark hair standing outdoors at dusk, looking upward, with palm trees and a violet sunset sky behind her

Menopause, GSM, and Recurrent UTIs

Menopause causes a drop in estrogen that can contribute to conditions like genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and recurrent UTIs.

Ask an Expert
E. coli bacterial colonies growing on an agar plate, shown as round yellow-orange clusters

Escherichia coli and UTI: Risk Factors, Diagnostic Testing, and Treatment Options

E. coli causes 80–90% of UTIs. Learn how uropathogenic strains use biofilms, intracellular communities, and resistance genes — and which tests find them.

Urogenital Pathogens
Gloved hand holding a small clear tube containing a urine sample

Is Urine Sterile? The Urobiome and UTIs

Urine is not sterile. The urinary tract hosts its own microbial community — the urobiome — and its balance shapes UTI risk, diagnosis, and recurrence.

The Urinary Microbiome
Illustration of Proteus mirabilis bacteria in the urinary tract, associated with catheter-associated UTIs and struvite stones

Proteus mirabilis and UTI: Risk Factors, Diagnostic Testing, and Treatment Options

Proteus mirabilis causes complicated and catheter-associated UTIs, forms struvite stones, and resists common antibiotics like nitrofurantoin.

Urogenital Pathogens
Blue-tinted microscopy image of a rounded microbial colony showing clustered dark spots against a bright blue background

Precision Medicine for Infectious Disease: The Next Frontier Beyond Oncology

Precision medicine has long been defined by oncology. NGS and AI-powered diagnostics can bring the same rigor to infectious disease.

Clinical Metagenomics
Empty laboratory glassware — a graduated cylinder, small glass pipettes, and a petri dish arranged with green and coral round-bottom flasks on a white surface

Why Did My Urine Culture Come Back Negative?

Standard culture misses up to 1 in 3 UTIs. Here's why — and what you can do about it.

Diagnosing UTIs
Microscopy image of Gram-stained urinary tract cells in shades of pink and magenta scattered across a pale field

What Is a UTI? Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

A clinician-reviewed primer on urinary tract infections — what they are, who gets them, and how doctors confirm them.

UTI 101
Close-up photo of a person's hand pressed against their lower abdomen over the pelvic area, wearing dark underwear

UTI Symptoms: What to Look For and When to See a Doctor

The classic signs of a UTI, the warning signs of a kidney infection, and the conditions that can mimic UTI symptoms.

UTI 101
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