Let's Talk Micro

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into biological research, the quality of the data used to develop these technologies is more important than ever. But what exactly is digital biology, and why does data quality matter? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Jonathan Jacobs, PhD, Senior Director of Bioinformatics at ATCC, to explore digital biology and...

Many microbiology professionals are familiar with ATCC strains used for quality control, validation, and verification—but what happens before those biological materials reach the laboratory? ATCC, the American Type Culture Collection, maintains biological materials used by scientists and laboratories around the world. In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Dr. Shahin Ali, Senior Sc...

Originally published on September 28, 2022, this episode returns to the Let's Talk Micro feed in recognition of World Rabies Day. Dr. Rodney Rohde joins the podcast to discuss rabies and his extensive experience working with the virus in public health. We start with the basics: What is rabies? How is it transmitted? What are the signs and symptoms? From there, we discuss potential exposures, post-...

MAD-ID (Making a Difference in Infectious Diseases) and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) have joined forces to create a new annual meeting focused on antimicrobial therapeutics, stewardship, infectious diseases, and more. In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Dr. Erin McCreary and Dr. Mike Rybak to discuss the history of MAD-ID and SIDP, what brought the two o...

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a common cause of pharyngitis, but deciding who should be tested and which testing method to use isn't always straightforward. In 2025, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) released updated guidelines on Group A streptococcal pharyngitis, bringing renewed attention to diagnostic stewardship and the use of clinical scoring systems to help guide testing de...

Artificial intelligence is changing how healthcare professionals access and use clinical information. But what does that look like at the point of care? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Dr. Declan Kelly, physician, software engineer, and founder of Eolas Medical, to discuss the role of AI in clinical decision support. Dr. Kelly shares how challenges accessing institutional gu...

Let's Talk Micro is back for a new season! In this season premiere, Luis is joined by Dr. Megan Amerson-Brown to discuss the important connection between clinical microbiology and infection prevention. Dr. Amerson-Brown shares her career journey from the microbiology bench to infection prevention and ultimately laboratory leadership. She discusses how microbiologists contribute to infection preven...

Recorded live at ASM Microbe 2026 in Washington, DC, this special episode marks the first live recording of Let's Talk Micro. Joining me are co-host Dr. Andrea Prinzi and guest Dr. Nathan Ledeboer for a discussion on the evolving role of whole genome sequencing (WGS) in clinical microbiology and antimicrobial resistance. Can whole genome sequencing predict antimicrobial susceptibility? What are it...

En este episodio en español de Let's Talk Micro, Luis conversa nuevamente con el Dr. Germán Esparza sobre los cambios más relevantes incluidos en la edición 2026 del documento CLSI M100. Durante la conversación, revisan nuevas opciones terapéuticas como aztreonam-avibactam, actualizaciones en los puntos de corte para Acinetobacter y Neisseria gonorrhoeae , cambios en aminoglucósidos, consideracion...

ASM Microbe is the largest microbiology meeting in the United States, bringing together thousands of scientists, laboratorians, clinicians, and industry partners to discuss the latest advances in microbiology. In this episode, Luis shares highlights from ASM Microbe 2026, including sessions on diagnostic challenges, antimicrobial resistance, rapid susceptibility testing, emerging therapeutics, lab...

What does it take to go from working at the bench to becoming a future clinical microbiology laboratory director? In this episode, Luis is joined by Dr. Mackenzie Collins, a CPEP fellow at UCLA, to discuss her journey from Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) to PhD scientist and CPEP fellow. Mackenzie shares how she discovered laboratory medicine, her experience working as an MLS in molecular micro...

Have you ever received an identification result that just didn't make sense? In this episode, Luis shares three cases of mistaken identity from the microbiology laboratory: a Gram-positive rod identified as Kocuria, another reported as Sphingomonas, and a yeast that somehow became Brucella. While automated identification systems are powerful tools, they can only work with the information we provid...

In Part 2 of this hantavirus series, Luis continues the conversation with Dr. Ryan Relich and Dr. Stephanie Seifert by focusing on the recent Andes virus cruise ship outbreak and what makes this hantavirus different from others. The discussion explores the outbreak investigation, the evidence for person-to-person transmission, and why the Andes virus has received so much attention from the public...

Hantaviruses have recently been in the headlines, but what exactly are they and how do they spread? In Part 1 of this hantavirus series, Luis is joined by Dr. Ryan Relich and Dr. Stephanie Seifert for a deep dive into the world of hantaviruses. The conversation explores the basics of hantaviruses, including their ecology, rodent reservoirs, transmission, and the diseases they cause in humans. The...

Workforce shortages continue to impact clinical laboratories across the country, especially in rural healthcare settings. In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Kenzi Haigler to discuss an innovative high school laboratory program designed to introduce students to laboratory medicine early and help strengthen the future workforce pipeline. Kenzi shares her journey into the laborato...

In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we close out our gram-negative cocci series by talking about the "background singers" of the group—the organisms that quietly show up on respiratory cultures and oral flora plates every day. We explore the world of non-pathogenic Neisseria species, along with rod-shaped and coccobacillary Neisseria and Moraxella that break the classic gram-negative diplococci r...

This week, Let's Talk Micro is pausing the Gram-negative cocci series to talk about one of the biggest microbiology meetings of the year: ASM Microbe 2026. Luis is joined by Dr. Bobbi Pritt and Dr. Robert Tibbetts to discuss what attendees can expect from this year's meeting in Washington, DC. The conversation covers the new meeting structure, important trends in clinical microbiology, sessions an...

In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we continue our gram-negative cocci series with a closer look at Moraxella catarrhalis —better known at the bench as the hockey puck bug. We break down what makes this organism unique, from its classic sliding colony morphology to how it behaves in different patient populations. Is it a colonizer or a pathogen? The answer depends on the clinical context. We wal...

In this week's episode, we continue our series on gram-negative cocci and take a closer look at two of the most important organisms: Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. On the Gram stain, they may look the same—but clinically, they represent very different scenarios. We walk through colonization, transmission, and key virulence factors, and connect them to the infections they cause—f...

In this episode we continue our gram-negative cocci series by moving beyond the plate and into modern identification methods. From traditional systems like VITEK and RapID NH to MALDI-TOF and molecular testing, we explore how these organisms are identified in today's clinical microbiology lab. We also break down the role of NAATs and syndromic panels in detecting organisms like Neisseria meningiti...

In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we continue our gram-negative cocci series by focusing on what to do after the Gram stain. You've identified gram-negative cocci—now what? We take a practical, bench-focused approach to working these organisms up, covering key culture media like blood agar, chocolate agar, and selective media such as Modified Thayer-Martin and Martin-Lewis. We also review colle...

In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we kick off a new series on gram-negative cocci by starting where it all begins—the Gram stain. Seeing gram-negative diplococci on a smear can feel intimidating, especially when you're on the bench and need to make the right call. In this episode, we focus on how to approach that moment with confidence. We walk through the key organisms you'll encounter, includ...

The CLSI M100 gets updated every year—but what do those changes actually mean for the microbiology lab? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Dr. April Bobenchik to break down the latest updates in the CLSI M100 2026 (36th edition) and how they translate into real-world lab practice. They walk through important breakpoint changes, including aztreonam–avibactam and updates for Acin...

Luis here with a quick update! We're taking a short break and will return the week of March 23rd. During this time, it's a great opportunity to explore the archive— Let's Talk Micro has over 200 episodes covering many topics in clinical microbiology. New episodes will be back soon. Thanks for listening and for being part of the Let's Talk Micro community. Stay connected with Let's Talk Micro: Webs...

Wound cultures are some of the most complex specimens encountered in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Unlike more straightforward cultures, wound specimens often contain multiple organisms, making it challenging to determine which microbes are clinically significant and which represent colonization. In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Dr. Christopher Doern and Dr. Alexandra...