The device simplifies the transfer of urine from a sterile container to a tube using a quick dip-and-close method that streamlines workflow and decreases procedural steps. Credit: Copan ...

Serial dilution was rarely necessary since urine was either sterile or grossly contaminated with an excess of 100,000 colonies per milliliter.

But though the study debunked a long-held myth about sterile urine and suggested that modern testing tools aren’t sufficient to really understand urine, don’t rule out the power of pee.

Not-so-sterile pee For years, even doctors believed urine was sterile. The myth goes back 50 years, Hilt said, when a screening method for kidney infections was developed.

Not-so-sterile pee For years, even doctors believed urine was sterile. The myth goes back 50 years, Hilt said, when a screening method for kidney infections was developed.

If you watch a lot of reality television or shows about bushcraft, you'd be forgiven for thinking that your best chance of surviving in a battle against the elements is to drink your own urine ...