Let's Talk Micro - TopPodcast.com

165: E. coli: NDM and PBP variants Nov 22, 2024

As a new microbiologist sometimes terms like beta-lactams, beta-lactamases, or penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) can be confusing. Are you familiar with the New-Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) and its variants? How many are there? How does this enzyme affect beta-lactam drugs?How about NDM-5? In this episode Luis is joined by Dr. Raneem Pallotta, an infectious diseases pharmacist. In the episode we go over these terms. Dr. Pallotta also talks about an NDM-producing E. coli that harbors PBP3 variants. How do these variants affect beta-lactam antibiotics? Tune in for a great episode.

Link to Dr. Pallotta's article: https://www.contagionlive.com/view/ndm-producing-e-coli-harboring-pbp-insert-variants-emerges-as-new-threat

Link to other articles:

https://bmcmicrobiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12866-017-1012-8

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5527577/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34800710/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32040179/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25634992/

https://www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/amr-guidance/

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164: MicroClinUy (En Español/ In Spanish) Nov 20, 2024

En este episodio en español, Luis conversa con la Dra. Verónica Seija. La Dra. Seija es especialista en microbiología y tiene un blog, redes sociales y un podcast donde habla sobre microbiología bajo el nombre MicroClinUY. ¿ Qué motivó a la Dra. a comenzar a hablar sobre microbiología? ¿Qué tipo de contenido encontramos en sus redes sociales y el podcast? ¿Dónde encuentran el podcast? Sintonizen y no se pierdan de una gran conversación.

Enlace al podcast: https://www.microclin.uy/podcast

Enlace a la página web de MicroClinUy: https://www.microclin.uy

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163: Talking AMR- Glycopeptides Nov 15, 2024

Luis and Andrea return with a new episode of the AMR series. This time, they are joined by Dr. Nikunj Vyas, and they go over glycopeptides. Whether you are a microbiologist, provider or an ID pharmacist, you are familiar with vancomycin. What is the mechanism of action of glycopeptides? Is there intrinsic resistance? How does a difference in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) affect treatment? Tune in to learn more.

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TBT: Veterinary Microbiology Nov 08, 2024

Throwback to a great episode! Have you worked in a veterinary laboratory? What kind of training do you need? Are you able to work in one as an MLS? Have you thought about what a culture from a veterinary specimen might look like? How do you work those up? What about antimicrobials and guidelines? Kelli Maddock and Sarah Gefroh from the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory join the podcast to answer these questions. They are Medical Laboratory Scientists with experience in human medicine who switched to veterinary medicine.

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TBT: Biochemicals- catalase and coagulase Oct 24, 2024

One of the first episodes published and one of the most downloaded episodes. In it Luis goes over catalase and coagulase.

What are biochemicals? How are they useful in the identification of bacteria? In this episode I start going over biochemicals: catalase and coagulase, two of the most commonly used biochemicals in Clinical Microbiology.

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TBT: Media Oct 17, 2024

The first episode! Share it with students and peers, In it Luis talks about agar. What is agar? What do we use it for? Various types of agar are discussed like blood agar and MacConkey along with their uses.

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159: A novel microbicide for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Oct 10, 2024

A microbicide for Neisseria gonorrhoeae? In this episode Luis is joined by Dr. María Rendón from the University of Arizona. Dr. Rendón joins the podcast to talk about a novel microbicide that was developed which has activity against N. gonorrhoeae . How does it work? Does it affect commensal Neisseria? What about methylation signatures? Tune in to learn more about this microbicide.

Link to articles referenced in episode:

http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/2019a-so-microbial-cell/

https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1931-3128%2819%2930347-6

Link to study: https://journals.asm.org/doi/abs/10.1128/aac.00794-24?doi=10.1128/aac.00794-24

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158: Joint Infections PCR Panel Oct 03, 2024

Are you familiar with the BioFire system? If you work in microbiology you probably are. How about a joint infections panel for this system? In this episode Dr. Angelica Moran and Jekzaly Arellano join the podcast to talk about a study they did evaluating this panel. Why are joint infections difficult to diagnose? Tune in to learn more.

Link to article: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.00182-24

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157: Lactobacillus Sep 26, 2024

This week Luis continues going over gram-positive rods: this time Lactobacillus. What is the morphology of Lactobacillus? Biochemicals? Which species are typically seen in humans? Is it pathogenic or normal flora? What about susceptibilities? All great questions. Tune in to find out about this genera.

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156: Actinotignum schaalii Sep 19, 2024

If you work with MALDI-TOF MS and you read urine cultures, you probably have seen this organism : Actinotignum schaalii. Is this organism significant? What is the gram stain? Biochemicals? Other questions come up such as we do report it? Do we perform susceptibilities ? Tune in to learn about this emerging pathogen and get answers to all these questions.

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155: ASCP: Microbiology Certifications Sep 12, 2024

Those of you that work in the laboratory as Medical Laboratory Scientists know that you need to be certified. How can you get certified in microbiology? Even if you haven't completed a Medical Laboratory Sciences program, is there a way to get certified? In this episode Dr. Amanda Harrington joins Luis to answer questions regarding certification in Microbiology from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), including information about the Specialist in Microbiology Certification.

Link to certifications in Microbiology from ASCP:

https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed?srsltid=AfmBOoo4i6_pt4DLUEKUJmclab7AJkFp1bZlPGibNnIqLb-jgp3JGgvO#

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154: Dengue Sep 05, 2024

Dr. Rodney Rohde returns to the podcast! This time he joins Luis to talk about dengue. You might hear reports about increases in cases in some areas, so it was a good time to talk about it. What is dengue? What type of virus it is? Vectors? Prevention? Is there a vaccine? Tune in to learn more about this virus.

Link to Dr. Rohde's dengue article: https://asm.org/articles/2024/august/dengue-is-spreading-is-warmer-weather-to-blame

More information about dengue: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/index.html

Link to Dr. Rohde's Podcast: https://www.contagionlive.com/view/from-pathogen-to-infectious-disease-diagnosis-taking-on-potential-standard-of-care-diagnostic-opportunities

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153: Bone and Joint Infections Aug 29, 2024

If you work in a clinical microbiology laboratory, you might have worked with bone and joint samples. In this episode we dive deeper into bone and joint infections. Luis is joined by Dr. Joan Gomez-Junyent, an Infectious Diseases physician at Hospital Del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Gomez goes over different types of infections. What organisms are typically seen? Is there a typical treatment of choice? How about antimicrobial resistance? Tune in to hear Dr. Gomez go over these questions and more.

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152: Potential antibiotics: lolamicin Aug 22, 2024

Season 4 is here! Tune in for the first episode. Luis talks to Dr. Paul Hergenrother about lolamicin. Dr. Hergenrother is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois in Urnaba-Champaign. He was previously a guest in the podcast (fabimycin episode) and this time he returns to talk about another potential antibiotic candidate: lolamicin. What is lolamicin? What is the mechanism of action? What organisms does it have activity against? Does it affect the gut microbiota?

Link to Dr. Hergenrother's article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07502-0

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151: Ace the Boards: Microbiology Jul 18, 2024

A great way to end season 3! In this episode Dr. Cullen Lilley talks to Luis about his textbook : A Concise Review of Clinical Microbiology . Dr. Lilley is a pathology resident, with a Microbiology background, and a Let's Talk Micro listener! Tune in to learn about what is in this microbiology textbook, what is Ace my Path, what are the roles of a pathologist and more.

Link to Ace My Path: https://www.acemypath.com

Link to textbook: https://a.co/d/gGDiZ8Z

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150: Sterile body fluids and Multiplex PCR Jul 11, 2024

In the laboratory we routinely use molecular testing to identify organisms in blood cultures. We also incubate body fluids in blood culture bottles. What if we could use those same tests to identify organisms from body fluids? In this episode Christina Cox and Joel Mortensen join the podcast to talk about this. They performed a study where they used the cobas® eplex system (GenMark) to identify organisms recovered from sterile body fluid cultures. Tune in to hear about the results and the applications of this in the clinical laboratory.

Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.01611-23

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149: Talking Microbiome Jun 27, 2024

In this episode Luis is joined by Dr. Crystal Icenhour to talk about the microbiome, more specifically, the human microbiome. What organisms typically make up the microbiome? Do they change between areas of the body? What are some applications for the microbiome? Tune in for another great episode.

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148: Bonus: Live from ASM Microbe 2024 Jun 25, 2024

ASM Microbe 2024 took place in Atlanta Georgia from June 13-17. Check out this bonus episode where Luis discusses his two events, favorite posters, and more.

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147: Research in Medical Laboratory Science: moose, bears, ESBL, and more Jun 20, 2024

Research in MLS? In this episode Grace Leu-Burke, director of the Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) program at the University of Alaska in Anchorage, returns to the podcast. She talks to Luis about the research program the MLS students are involved in. They culture scat from moose, bears, and geese, perform identification and susceptibility testing, and more. What kind of antimicrobial resistance is found in this sample population? Tune in to learn more about this research.

Link to JAM meeting registration: https://www.labjam.org/event/cc75ef76-49db-4175-8440-d194382bcf05/websitePage:d132f4da-b01b-4c7c-9ea8-5866e2b0f8ca

Title of Grace's Talk: “Emerging Antimicrobial Resistance, A One Health Model”

Thursday July 11th at 9:30am

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146: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) Jun 13, 2024

In this episode Luis talks to Dr. Madeline Barron about urinary tract infections (UTIs). Clinical Microbiologists work closely with urine cultures and recover many organisms and perform susceptibility testing. However some questions come to mind. What causes a UTI ? What organisms are typically seen in UTIs? Any treatment options other than antimicrobials? Tune in to find out.

Madeline Barron's article: https://asm.org/articles/2024/may/why-urinary-tract-infections-uti-recur

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145: Talking AMR: Polymyxins (lipopeptides) Jun 06, 2024

Luis and Andrea are back to talk AMR! This time they are joined by Dr. Alyssa Walker to go over polymyxins . As usual they go over important questions such as mechanism of action, intrinsic resistance, applying the interpretation of one drug to another, and more. What media used in the laboratory has colistin in it? Don't miss another great episode.

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144: Serie en Español: Tinción de Gram Jun 04, 2024

Regresa la serie en Español. Luis y Maridaliz discuten la tinción de gram. Cómo se prepara la laminilla? Cúales son los reactivos y el proceso? Qué diferencia hay entre bacterias gran-positiva y gram-negativa? Sintonizen a este episodio para aprender sobre una de las pruebas mas importantes en Microbiología Clínica.

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143: Navigating your Path May 30, 2024

Have you been in a job or career that you feel is not a good fit for you? Perhaps you want to try something different but do not know how to get there? Sometimes you might be dreading going to work or just feel unhappy. In this episode Luis talks to Dr. Duane Newton. Duane is a microbiologist with extensive training and at one point in his career he describes feeling "miserable". What did he do to change that? Tune in to this episode to listen to how Duane navigated his path to find himself in a happy place. He shares his story and also gives advice on how you can navigate your own path.

Dr. Newton's website: https://dwnconsult.com

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142: UAA MLS : Microbiology and Research May 23, 2024

In this episode Luis talks to Grace Leu-Burke, Program Director and professor at the University of Alaska in Anchorage (UAA) Medical Laboratory Sciences Program. She joins the podcast to talk about her career and talks about the MLS program at UAA. She goes over the Microbiology curriculum, the importance of biochemical testing, and more. She also talks about the research that her students are conducting involving moose and stool samples.

Link to UAA MLS program:

https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/college-of-health/departments/school-of-allied-health/medical-laboratory-science/index.cshtml

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141: AR Isolate Bank May 16, 2024

As a microbiologist, you might have worked on a project or validation that involved organisms from the AR Isolate Bank. You might have asked where they came from and you were told that they were obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What is the Antimicrobial Resistance Isolate Bank (AR Bank)? What organisms are part of this bank? What are they used for? In this episode Luis is joined by two guests from the CDC to answer these questions and more.

Links to the AR Isolate Bank website and more:

AR Isolate Bank - https://wwwn.cdc.gov/arisolatebank/

CDC's site on AR Isolate Bank - https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/resistance-bank/index.html

AR Isolate Bank’s email: ARBank@cdc.gov

The National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria - https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/us-activities/national-action-plan.html

2023 Breakpoint Implementation Toolkit (2023 BIT) - https://clsi.org/meetings/ast/breakpoints-in-use-toolkit/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2-rJ3vqKhAMVXVxHAR1nkACvEAAYASAAEgIi3PD_BwE

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140: Talking AMR: Tetracyclines May 09, 2024

The next episode of the AMR series is here! Luis and Andrea are joined by Dr. Brandon Hill to talk about the Tetracyclines. What is the mechanism of action of this antimicrobial group? What drugs are part of it? Is there any intrinsic resistance? Tune in for another great episode where we "break down" antimicrobials.

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139: Bacillus: morphology and media May 02, 2024

Originally released as episode 76, in this episode Luis continues going over Bacillus. Now that we know its groups and what diseases they are implicated on, it's time to talk about media and morphology. What do the colonies look like? What is MYP agar? PEMBA? Tune in to find out.

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138: Bacillus species Apr 25, 2024

Originally released as episode 75, in this episode Luis talks about Bacillus and related genera. What are the species that are part of this genus? Which species cause food poisoning? What about endophthalmitis? What are spores? Tune in to find out.

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137: Corynebacterium diphtheriae: media and more Apr 18, 2024

In this episode Luis continues going over Corynebacterium. In the last episode he mentioned some media that is used to isolate Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Have you heard of cystine tellurite agar? How about Tinsdale agar? What type of testing is there for the diphtheria toxin?What test systems can identify C. diphtheriae? Tune in to learn more about this organism and how this media works.

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136: Corynebacterium Apr 11, 2024

Back to the gram-positive rods! This week Luis goes back to gram-positive rods: Corynebacterium this time. The episode starts with an overview: gram stain, biochemicals, morphology, and species. What do you know about Corynebacterium diphtheriae? Does it always cause diphtheria? What is a pseudomembrane? Tune in and download this episode to learn about this genus that has some species commonly seen in the laboratory.

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135: Talking ID Stewardship, learning antibiotics, and more Apr 04, 2024

What is antimicrobial stewardship ? What is a hospital antibiogram? In this episode Dr. Timothy Gauthier joins the podcast and talks to Luis about antimicrobial stewardship. Dr. Gauthier is a pharmacist and creator of the IDstewardship.com and Learnantibiotics.com websites. He is also the author of a book titled Learn Antibiotics. Luis asks him about what antibiotics are used to treat certain organisms. Don't miss this great episode.

Timothy Gauthier's information:

X: @IDstwerdship

Websites:

IDstewardship.com

Learnantibiotics.com

Book available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/9ikuZ10

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134: Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Mar 28, 2024

What is the Doctor in Public Health (DrPH) degree? What kind of work does it prepare you to do? What concentrations does this degree has? In this episode Luis talks to Dr. Jill Roberts, an associate professor at the University of South Florida (USF). Dr. Roberts is the director of the DrPH with a concentration in Public Health and Clinical Laboratory Science and Practice degree program at USF. What are the prerequisites for this degree? What are the career options? Are you able to pursue this degree if you have a background in Clinical Laboratory ? Tune in to find out.

Link to USF's DrPH in Public Health and Clinical Laboratory Science and practice:

https://health.usf.edu/publichealth/apply/doctoral/drph-phclsp

Dr. Robert's contact info: jcrobert@usf.edu

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133: Teaching Microbiology in High School Mar 21, 2024

Microbiology in high school ? Must people take biology in high school, but microbiology is not typically an option. Those of you that are microbiology lovers, would you have taken it had there been an option? Well, check out this episode where Meredith Townsend, a high school teacher joins the podcast to talk to Luis about teaching microbiology to her students. She talks about the curriculum, grading, how does it help the students, and more.

Want to reach out to Meredith Townsend? See below:

mertownsend34@gmail.com --- contact me and we can get you in the Google Group!

https://mertownsend34.wixsite.com/mrstownsendteaches --- here is my teaching blog!

https://a.co/d/4Q3X3VK --- ABC's of Microbiology: A coloring book for future science nerds

@Mer_Townsend - X username

mrs_townsend_teaches --- Instagram

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132: Listeria: media and more Mar 14, 2024

In this episode Luis continues going over Listeria: testing and media. First he goes over two test systems that can detect Listeria in blood, and then he goes over media. Have you heard of Oxford or Palcalm agar? How about chromogenic agar for Listeria? Tune in to continue learning about this critical organism.

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131: Listeria Mar 08, 2024

Luis is talking micro in this episode. We continue our journey over gram-positive rods. This time is about Listeria. What are the virulence factors of Listeria? What is its morphology? Biochemicals? Tune in to learn about this critical organism, its resemblance to another pathogen, ways of identifying it, atypical presentations, and more.

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130: ABMM Certification Mar 01, 2024

You requested it and it is here! Dr. Kristen Smith joins the podcast to talk about the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) certification. What is the ABMM certification? How does it help you professionally ? What are the requirements? CPEP fellowship? Tune in to listen to Dr. Smith answer these questions and more.

Link to American Society for Microbiology ABMM information: https://asm.org/certifications/american-board-of-medical-microbiology-abmm

Link to ClinMicroNow: https://www.clinmicronow.org

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129: AR Lab Network, GN7F panel, and more Feb 23, 2024

Are you familiar with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Antimicrobial Laboratory Network( AR Lab Network)? How about the ThermoFisher Sensititre? In this episode, Amelia Bhatnagar from the CDC joins the podcast to talk about a study that was performed to evaluate the Sensititre GN7F panel. She discusses the study and explains to the listeners what the AR Lab Network is. Tune in to learn more about this study, the AR Lab network, and the importance of evaluating the performance of Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) systems.

Link to study:

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.00799-23

Link to AR Lab Network:

https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/ar-lab-networks/domestic.html

"HAI" Activity within the AR Lab Network:

https://www.cdc.gov/hai/hai-ar-programs/activities/AR-lab-network.html

The AR and Patient Safety Portal:

https://arpsp.cdc.gov/profile/antibiotic-resistance?tab=ar-lab-network

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128: Talking AMR: Aminoglycosides Feb 16, 2024

The next episode of the AMR series is here! In this episode Luis and Andrea are joined by Dr. Patrick McDaneld to discuss aminoglycosides. We go over mechanism of action, what drugs are part of this class, what organisms does it have activity against, and more. We invite you to check the CLSI M100 and get familiarized with it.

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127: Next-generation sequencing Feb 09, 2024

The field of Microbiology continues to change. Organisms were primarily identified in the clinical laboratory by biochemical testing. Then MALDI-TOF came to the lab and was incorporated to the workflow. Now labs are bringing next-generation sequencing (NGS). What is NGS? How does it work? Have you heard of Nanopore technologies? In this episode Dr. Jose Alexander and Daniel Navas from Advent Health Orlando, join the podcast to talk about NGS. They brought it to their laboratory and discuss the whole process, including the validation, challenges and more.

Have any feedback or suggestions? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

126: Talking Variovorax durovernensis Feb 02, 2024

Have you heard about Variovorax durovernensis? The field of Microbiology is one that continues to change, sometimes at a fast pace. With MALDI-TOF and whole genome sequencing making rapid advances, we now learn more of existing organisms and discover novel ones. Tune in to learn about how this novel species was discovered, including the testing performed and the reason behind its name.

Link to article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590170223001152

Questions or feedback? Send an email to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

125: Manual of Clinical Microbiology Jan 26, 2024

Are you familiar with the Manual of Clinical Microbiology (MCM)? If you work in a clinical microbiology laboratory you might be familiar with it. Last year the 13th edition was released. What content is in the MCM? Where is the information obtained from? What is new in this edition? Is it available online? Dr. Karen Carroll, one of the editors-in chief joins the podcast to discuss this important resource.

Link to ClinMicroNow : https://www.clinmicronow.org

Feedback? Suggestions? Please email those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

124: Collaboration with Breakpoints podcast: Talking AUR, CAP breakpoint requirements, and more Jan 19, 2024

It is 2024. Is your laboratory using current breakpoints? Are you familiar with the requirements? This episode features a collaboration with Breakpoints: The SIDP Podcast. In it I join the podcast along with two other guests to talk about those requirements among other things.

Check out the Breakpoints podcast: https://sidp.pinecast.co

More information on breakpoints toolkit: https://clsi.org/meetings/ast/breakpoints-in-use-toolkit/

123: Streptococcus agalactiae (re-release) Jan 12, 2024

Originally published as episodes 36 and 37, in this episode I go over Streptococcus agalactiae. I discuss morphology, biochemicals, and testing among other things. What is the Lancefield group of this organism? What is the significance of this organism in neonates? Any organisms that morphologically resemble it? Tune in to find out.

122: Enterococcus species (re-release) Jan 05, 2024

Originally released as episode 53, in this episode I go over Enterococcus species. What are the most clinically significant species of Enterococcus? Morphology? Biochemicals? Tune in to find out more about these organisms, and why are they so significant in healthcare settings.

121: S. pneumoniae: testing and more (re-release) Dec 29, 2023

Originally released as episode 58, in this episode I continue going over S. pneumoniae. This time I go over a popular antigen test. I also discuss molecular testing, including limitations and the importance of correlating the gram stain with the result. Also, have you heard of Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae?

120: Talking AMR: Fluoroquinolones Dec 22, 2023

The AMR sub-series is back! Dr. Minkey Wungwattana joins Luis and Andrea in the podcast to talk about fluoroquinolones. What is the mechanism of action of this class of antimicrobials? What organisms do they have activity against? What about breakpoints for Salmonella? Tune in to find out.

Link to breakpoints episode that Andrea mentioned:

https://rss.com/podcasts/letstalkmicro/475955/

119: Streptococcus pneumoniae (re-release) Dec 15, 2023

This episode was originally published as episode 57. In it I go over Streptococcus pneumoniae: gram stain, morphology, diseases, and more. What is optochin? What is the bile solubility test? Tune in to find out.

118: Talking urine culture orders Dec 08, 2023

This episode features a conversation with Lisa Parlich, an Infection Preventionist, with a background in Medical Laboratory Sciences. Lisa joins the podcast to talk about an order for urinalysis that was implemented in her hospital. This order is the Urinalysis with Hold order panel. Those of you that work in the laboratory might be familiar with the Urinalysis with reflex to culture order, where if an urinalysis meets the positive criteria for a culture, an order for an urine culture is reflexed, How does this new order differ from traditional orders? How does it help the patients ? How does it work? Tune in to find out.

117: LPC-233: An LpxC inhibitor Dec 01, 2023

In this episode, Dr. Pei Zhou from the Duke University School of Medicine joins the podcast to talk about LPC-233. This is a compound that shows bactericidal activity against some gram-negative rods. LPC-233 is an LpxC inhibitor. What is LpxC? How does LPC-233 works? What are some challenges of developing LpxC inhibitors? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adf5668

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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116: An introduction to anaerobes (re-release) Nov 24, 2023

Originally released in 2021, in this episode I go over anaerobes. What are some examples of anaerobes? Why can't they grow aerobically ? What is a facultative anaerobe? Tune in to learn more.

115: Talking MALDI-TOF MS PT.2 : pros and cons Nov 17, 2023

In this episode I continue talking about MALDI-TOF MS. This time I go over the advantages and disadvantages. How has MALDI-TOF helped Clinical Microbiology? How does it compare to traditional identification methods and the workflow? What about disadvantages? Tune in to find out.

114: Collaboration with ID:IOTS podcast: Talking Laboratory and more Nov 09, 2023

This episode features a collaboration with Jame and Callum from the ID:IOTS podcast. They are two infectious disease physicians that just like Let's Talk Micro, their goal is to share information and help educate the audience. We join forces to talk about the laboratory. We start by going over what a Medical laboratory Scientist does ( I talk about what I do). We also go over questions like what do we expect to see in a laboratory requisition. Do we add media based on what the source or the requisition indicates? How can we improve communication between the laboratory and providers? Tune in to find out.

ID:IOTS podcast page: https://idiotspodcasting.buzzsprout.com

Please download and review episodes

113: (Spanish) Serie en español- Medios de cultivo Nov 08, 2023

Luego de un episodio introductorio , Luis y Maridaliz regresan nuevamente con un episodio para la serie en español . En este episodio discuten medios de cultivo. Qué son los medios de cultivo? Cómo estos medios ayudan a los microorganismos? Cuáles son selectivos? Cuáles son diferenciales? Sintonizen para aprender sobre estos medios, las condiciones que los microorganismos necesitan para crecer, y más.

112: Talking MALDI-TOF MS PT. 1 Nov 02, 2023

Following the webinar on MALDI-TOF MS, we think that now it is a good time to go over MALDI-TOF MS. This topic was discussed two years ago, but since there are new listeners, now is a good time to go over it again. Are you familiar with MALDI-TOF? How does it work? How does it help Clinical Microbiology? Tune in to find out.

111: Marburg virus Oct 26, 2023

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Caterina Miraglia, a professor from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Dr. Miraglia published a review article about Marburg viruses in 2019, in order to educate fellow Medical Laboratory Scientists about these type of viruses. What is Marburg virus? What is Marburg virus disease? Is there any treatment or prevention? Tune in to find out.

110: (Spanish) Serie en español- Introducción y objetivos Oct 24, 2023

Let's Talk Micro fue creado con el objetivo de compartir información y aprender, enseñando todo de la manera mas simple posible. Siendo fiel a esa misión , hoy comienza una serie dentro del podcast para la población que habla español . Luis Plaza, el creador y animador del podcast, se une a la Dra. Maridaliz Rodriguez para hablar de microbiología . En este episodio Luis y Maridaliz hablan de su profesión y del objetivo de esta serie.

109: The Live Episode from ID Week 2023 Oct 19, 2023

This episode is the one that was recorded live from ID Week 2023 in Boston. In it I talk about my favorite posters, talks, and also about my experience as a first time attendee. This episode also features a short talk with Dr. Timothy Gauthier, a Pharmacist that spends time teaching about antibiotics via a blog and publications.

108: A Pediatric Hospital in Guinea Pt.2 Oct 12, 2023

This is the second part of the interview with Dr. Joel Mortensen and his experience at a hospital in Guinea. In this episode he continues talking about training laboratory personnel and teaching essential things like quality control. He also talks about issues like supplies and electricity and future plans. Are you trained in hematology and chemistry and speak French? Are you interested in helping out with training? You can email the podcast and your information will be forwarded or you can reach out to Hope Ignited. Let's Talk Micro email: letstalkmicro@outlook.comLink to Hope Ignited: https://www.hopeignited.org

107: A Pediatric Hospital in Guinea Pt.1 Oct 05, 2023

This episode features an interview with Dr. Joel Mortensen. He is the Director of the Diagnostic Infectious Diseases Testing Laboratory at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Dr. Mortensen volunteered to train laboratory personnel to perform microbiology testing at a pediatric hospital that was being built in Guinea, West Africa. Tune in to learn about this hospital, hear about his experience, the challenges he encountered, and more. This is part one of a two part series. Link to Hope Ignited: https://www.hopeignited.org

106: Talking Malaria Sep 28, 2023

We have heard or recent cases of malaria in the United States. What better than to do an episode about it? Dr. Kenneth Gavina, from the Indiana University School of Medicine, joins the podcast to talk about it. Tune in to learn about its life cycle, transmission, prevention, its relationship to pregnancy, and more.Link to CDC's life cycle: https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biology/index.htmlLink to Future of Malaria Research Symposium: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/malaria-research-institute/2023-future-of-malaria-research-symposium

105: Veterinary Microbiology Sep 21, 2023

Have you worked in a veterinary laboratory? What kind of training do you need? Are you able to work in one as an MLS? Have you thought about what a culture from a veterinary specimen might look like? How do you work those up? What about antimicrobials and guidelines? Kelli Maddock and Sarah Gefroh from the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory join the podcast to answer these questions. They are Medical Laboratory Scientists with experience in human medicine that switched to veterinary medicine.

104: Emerging viruses pt. 2 Sep 14, 2023

This episode is part two of the great emerging viruses talk with Dr. Ryan Relich and Benjamin Pinsky. They talk over diagnostic tests for viruses, challenges with test development, and they share their thoughts on viruses and outbreaks.

Link to the National Academies Arbovirus workshop: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/mitigating-arboviral-threats-and-strengthening-public-health-preparedness-a-workshop

Link to the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology: https://www.pascv.org/default.aspx

103: Emerging viruses pt. 1 Sep 07, 2023

With all the information about viruses that we see coming out, what better than an episode about emerging viruses. Dr. Benjamin Pinsky and Dr. Ryan Relich, two experienced virologists, join the podcast to talk about viruses. Tune in to learn about the different type of viruses, mode of entry, diseases, and more. This is part one of a two-part series. Link to the Clinical Virology Symposium: https://asm.org/Events/Clinical-Virology-Symposium/Home

102: Talking Francisella: an interesting case Aug 31, 2023

In this episode Dr. Ryan Relich and Dr. Kenneth Gavina join the podcast to talk about an article where Francisella tularensis spp. novicida was recovered from a blood culture. Are you familiar with this organism? What are the subspecies of Francisella tularensis? What are the biochemicals tested on it and their results? While most of us might never see this organism in our careers, being aware and prepared to recognize it is essential. We have to be prepared and have a plan in place. Tune in to learn more about this organism. Link to article: https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/jcm.00787-22

101: Talking AMR: Beta-lactams Aug 24, 2023

Season 3 kicks off with the second episode of the AMR sub-series with Dr. Andrea Prinzi. In this episode we go over beta-lactam antibiotics. Dr. Brian Raux, a Pharmacist and Medical liaison joins us. What are the beta-lactams? What is their mechanism of action? Which drugs are part of this group? Intrinsic resistance? Tune in to learn about this class of antibiotics and what the CLSI has about them.

TBT: Streptococcus anginosus group Aug 15, 2024

Originally published in May 26, 2022, in this episode Luis continues going over beta hemolytic strep: this time Streptococcus anginosus group. What are the species that comprise this group? What is the Lancefield group? What about biochemicals and morphology? Have you heard of Streptococcus pseudoporcinus? Tune in to find out.

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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TBT: LPC-233: An LpxC inhibitor Aug 01, 2024

Originally published in November 30 2023, in this episode, Dr. Pei Zhou from the Duke University School of Medicine joins the podcast and talks to Luis about LPC-233. This is a compound that shows bactericidal activity against some gram-negative rods. LPC-233 is an LpxC inhibitor. What is LpxC? How does LPC-233 works? What are some challenges of developing LpxC inhibitors? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adf5668

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

Want to support the podcast? Here's how:

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TBT: Fabimycin: an antibiotic candidate Jul 25, 2024

Originally published on October 13, 2022, in this episode Luis talks to Dr. Paul Hergenrother from the University of Illinois. Dr. Hergenrother talks about Fabimycin, an antibiotic candidate for gram negative bacteria. What is Fabimycin's mechanism of action? To which bacteria does it show activity against? Any intrinsic resistance? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00598

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TBT: Respiratory cultures Jul 04, 2024

Throwback Thurdsday! This week shows an episode originally released in 2022 where Luis talks to Andrea Prinzi about respiratory cultures. What are the types of respiratory cultures? What are the pathogens? What is the significance of yeast in respiratory cultures? Sputum rejection? Tune in to this episode to learn more about these cultures.

Link to article about sputum rejection that Dr. Prinzi mentions in the episode: https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/jcm.16.4.627-631.1982

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Special updates Oct 23, 2023

This is a short episode to update listeners about an upcoming sub-series in Spanish. Staying true to Let's Talk Micro's goal of sharing information and learning, this sub-series is meant to do that for the Spanish speaking audience. Episodes will be released about every five weeks on a different day as regular episodes.

Season 3: a preview and updates Aug 17, 2023

Hi everyone. Just wanted to take some time to give you some previews of upcoming episodes. From viruses, to Franciscella, to the next episode of the AMR sub-series, Let's talk Micro is kicking off season 3 with some great episodes. Also don't miss the webinar that I am presenting next week on tools and resources in a Microbiology laboratory! Registration is free. Link to sign up for webinar: https://www.clinicallab.com/trends/the-transfusion-medicine-laboratory/2023-blood-microbiology-digital-forum-27034

100: Collaboration with Microbe Mail podcast: Hey Micro-There's a yeast in my culture Jul 18, 2023

This episode is a collaboration with the Microbe Mail podcast. Dr. Vindana Chibabhair and I go over yeast in cultures: appropriate sources, significance, and pathogenicity versus normal flora. We also talk about instruments used to identify yeast, antifungals, and more... Check out the Microbe Mail podcast: https://microbemail.captivate.fm

99: Talking MLS with Dr. Melissa Jamerson Jul 13, 2023

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Melissa Jamerson, chair of the Medical laboratory Sciences department at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Dr. Jamerson talks about the degrees offered for Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) at her institution, which include undergraduate and graduate. A new Masters degree with a concentration in Public Health Laboratories is starting this fall. What are the requirements for this degree? How does it differ from other Masters degrees in MLS? Tune in to find out...Link to VCU page: https://mls.chp.vcu.edu/programs/masters/

98: Talking AMR : An overview Jul 06, 2023

This episode is the first episode in what is going to be an Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) sub-series. Dr. Andrea Prinzi joins me in this series. Together we breakdown this complex topic. In this episode we start with an overview of the state of AMR, Dr. Prinzi provides some history, and we explain what the series is going to be about. Learning this information can be challenging for professionals, but we are going to break it down as simple as we can. Knowing and understanding this information is a crucial part of our job as Medical Laboratory Scientists. We will go over classes of antibiotics, mechanisms of action, resistance mechanisms and more. Hope you tune in.

97: Digital Parasitology Jun 29, 2023

Digital technology is part of the laboratory. We see it on instruments in Urinalysis and Hematology where images such as those of cells are produced. What about Parasitology? Can it be used for it? Dr. Bobbi Pritt, from the Mayo Clinic Laboratory , joins the podcast to talk about it. An algorithm with Artificial Intelligence has been implemented in her lab for protozoa. How did it do? What are the components? Tune in to find out.

96: Live at ASM with the Microbe Moment podcast Jun 22, 2023

This episode was recorded while at the American Society for Microbiology's (ASM) Microbe 2023. I went over what I liked about this conference as a first timer. I also talk more about other courses I took and my experience overall. Then I was joined by great company: Elizabeth Deyett and Jon Mitchell from the Microbe Moment, They have a podcast called the Microbe Moment with the Microbigals. They talk about the impact of microbes in life, provide historical perspectives, and more. They also attended the conference and Elizabeth actually presented a poster. Tune in to listen to this great conversation.....Link to the Microbe Moment's podcast and webpage: https://www.microbigals.com/the-microbe-moment-science-podcast

95: ASM Microbe 2023- Sessions, posters and more. Jun 22, 2023

This episode was recorded while at the American Society for Microbiology's (ASM) Microbe 2023 at Houston. I go over my favorite posters, sessions and more. It was great connecting with fellow microbiologists. Great posters such as Shewanella and oysters, frogs and potential compounds, and more. Of course, as a podcaster I had to sit through an episode of Editors in conversation.

94: CLSI M100 Ed. 33 updates Jun 15, 2023

In this episode I am joined by Dr. April Bobenchik, the Medical Microbiology Director at Penn State Health. She talks about the latest updates of the CLSI's M100. CLSI (Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute) publishes many documents, the M100 being one of them, which is updated yearly. What is the M100? How does it relate to the work that we do in Clinical Microbiology? What is new this year? Tune in to find out.CLSI's webpage: https://clsi.orgM100 webinar from CLSI link: https://clsi.org/standards/products/microbiology/education/astupdate23indwr1/Any inquiries can be emailed at customerservice@clsi.org

93: An overview of Parasitology with Dr. Pritt Jun 08, 2023

Some of you might me familiar with the parasite wonders blog. Dr. Bobbi Pritt, the creator of this blog, joins the podcast to talk about parasites. What samples are typically tested for parasites? What type of testing is there?Is there a role for digital Parasitology? Dr. Pritt, Director of the Parasitology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic provides us the answers to these questions and more. Want to learn more? Sign up for the workshop.... Link to blog: https://parasitewonders.blogspot.comLink to website: http://parasitewonders.com/Link to workshop: https://news.mayocliniclabs.com/2023-parasitology-workshop/

92: Hospital network goes down pt. 2 Jun 01, 2023

This episode is the conclusion of Dr. Wojewoda's story about her hospital's network going down. What was the overall effect of the network going down?What happened when the system came back up? Any lessons learned and advice? Tune in to find out.

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91: Hospital network goes down pt. 1 May 25, 2023

Those of us that work in the laboratory have experienced a downtime at some point or another. They tend to be about 4 hours long. What if the downtime went on for days? How would you perform tasks such as add-on testing or referencing cultures? What if the whole system was down? Dr. Christina Wojewoda from the University of Vermont Medical Center joins the podcast to tell her "horror" story of when the network at her hospital went down. This is part 1 of 2 episodes.

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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90: Piperacillin-Tazobactam, automated systems, and CLSI breakpoints May 18, 2023

This episodes features a conversation with Dr. Romney Humphries and Dr. April Abbott. They join the podcast to talk about a study where Piperacillin-Tazobactam (TZP) was evaluated. Testing results from automated systems were compared to a reference method. How did the systems perform? What are the challenges? What are CLSI breakpoints and FDA breakpoints? What is the MERINO trial? Tune in to find out. Link to article:

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.01617-22

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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89: XDR Shigella May 11, 2023

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Louise Francois Watkins and Dr. Naeemah Logan from the CDC. They join the podcast to talk about extensively drug resistant Shigella (XDR). What is Shigella? How is it transmitted? What makes it an XDR? Tune in to find out. Resources:

88: Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook May 04, 2023

The 5th edition of the Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook (CMPH) was recently published. This is a resource from the American Society for Microbiology that is widely used in clinical laboratories. The editors-in-chief join the podcast to talk about it: Dr. Amy Leber and Dr. Carey-Ann Burnham . What is the CMPH and how it relates to Clinical Microbiology? What is new in this edition? Tune in to find out.Link to ClinMicroNow attached.

87: Lab week- St. Louis University MLS program Apr 27, 2023

Happy Lab week! Thank you for all you do. This episode features a conversation with Amanda Reed , director of the St. Louis University Medical Laboratory Sciences program (SLU-MLS). In addition to being the director, she also teaches Microbiology. Tune in to find out about their program, a talk about the importance of biochemicals , and more. They also have something called "Name that bug" that prepares students to recognize and learn about organisms.Link to program attached.

86: Bacteria Game Apr 20, 2023

This episode features a conversation with the team behind Bacteria Game: Mathilde Lescat, Nicolas Piñeros and Katie Teinallon. A good educator is always trying to find ways to improve and reach the students. There is a lot of information in Microbiology, so coming up with ways students can learn the material is very important. Mathilde Lescat came up with a game to teach students Microbiology. It is supported by the French Society for Microbiology and it is available in French and English. What is Bacteria Game? What audience is it intended for? Tune in to find out. Link to the French Society for Microbiology page where the game can be ordered is attached.

85: Bacterial biofilms and antimicrobial resistance Apr 13, 2023

This episode features a conversation with Dr. Andrea Prinzi and Dr. Rodney Rohde. They talk about an article titled "The Role of Bacterial Biofilms in Antimicrobial Resistance" What are biofilms? What organisms are seen in them? What role do they play in antimicrobial resistance (AMR)? Tune in to find out. Link to article: https://asm.org/Articles/2023/March/The-Role-of-Bacterial-Biofilms-in-Antimicrobial-ReLink to quorum sensing article: https://asm.org/Articles/2020/June/How-Quorum-Sensing-Works

84: Talking Candida auris Apr 06, 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a press release on March 20, 2023 about Candida auris. There is an increase in cases, so it is a good time to talk about it. Dr. Shawn Lockhart, from the Mycotic Diseases Branch of the CDC joins the podcast to talk about C. auris. What is C. auris? How is it transmitted? What kind of antimicrobial resistance does it exhibit? Tune in to this episode to find out.

Link to EPA's P list: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-p-antimicrobial-products-registered-epa-claims-against-candida-auris

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83: Talking MS in MLS and Summer Immersion Program with Loyola University Mar 30, 2023

This episode features an interview with Dr. Kristen Pesavento, from the Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) program in Loyola University. Unlike traditional MLS programs where typically a bachelors degree is obtained upon completion, this program confers a Master of Science degree. What prerequisites do you need? Dr. Pesavento also talks about their summer immersion program, which takes place from May 17-19 of this year. Here students can get familiarized with Medical Laboratory Sciences.Link to Loyola MLS program: https://www.luc.edu/parkinson/mls/msinmedicallaboratoryscience/Link to Loyola MLS Immersion Experience: https://www.luc.edu/parkinson/mls/mlsimmersionexperience/

82: Discrepancies between phenotypic and genotypic testing in Microbiology pt.2 Mar 23, 2023

This is part 2 of a two part series. Dr. Rachael Liesman goes over scenarios where genotypic and phenotypic testing do not match and what to do. What do you do when your molecular instrument detects mec-A and Staphylococcus aureus but your susceptibility report shows oxacillin susceptible? What about VanA and Enterococcus? As Medical Laboratory Scientists in Microbiology, we encounter this type of situations. Tune in to find out how to troubleshoot these discrepancies.

Link to Dr. Patricia Simner's article: https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/JCM.00138-20

81: Discrepancies between phenotypic and genotypic testing in Microbiology pt.1 Mar 16, 2023

Those of you that work in Clinical Microbiology have seen at one point that a molecular test detects a gene for antimicrobial resistance and the susceptibility profile does not match. What do we do then? In this episode Dr. Rachael Liesman joins to the podcast to talk about this. What is genotypic testing? What is phenotypic testing? How do we perform these in the lab? How do we troubleshoot these discrepancies? Tune in to this episode which is the first of a two part series to find out.

Link to Dr. Liesman's presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dphVN79alVfQERTL_rTihUA-zlqBOJfY/view?usp=share_link

80: Talking DCLS with Dr. Brandy Gunsolus Mar 10, 2023

This episode features an interview with the first graduate from the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) program from Rutgers University: Dr. Brandy Gunsolus. What is the DCLS program? What are the requirements for this degree? What does a Doctor in Clinical laboratory Sciences does? Can they be directors? Tune in to find out about this career path for laboratorians and its contribution in Laboratory Medicine.

Link to DCLS programs:

https://shp.utmb.edu/clls/dcls/home

https://shp.rutgers.edu/clinical-lab-and-imaging-sciences/doctorate-of-clinical-lab-science/

https://www.kumc.edu/school-of-health-professions/academics/departments/clinical-laboratory-sciences/academics/doctorate-in-cls-program.html

79: Failure to launch- Bacteria and the Hawaiian bobtail squid Mar 03, 2023

In this episode we talk about a relationship between bacteria and the Hawaiian bobtail squid. Dr. Sarah McAnulty and Dr. Spencer Nyholm join the podcast to talk about a study about this squid and bacteria. What is symbiosis? What is the accessory nidamental gland? How does a bacterial community contribute to the development of this gland? What bacteria make up this community? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.02131-22

Link to Skype a Scientist: https://www.skypeascientist.com/meet-us.html

78: Cordyceps Feb 24, 2023

The show "The last of us" has brought the topic of fungal infections to the spotlight. What is Cordyceps? Why is the the term zombie used? What is the relationship between fungi and body temperature? Dr. Andrej Spec, an Infectious Diseases physician, joins the podcast to talk about Cordyceps and fungi.

77: Bacillus anthracis Feb 17, 2023

This week's episode is about one species of Bacillus that causes disease and has the potential of being used as a bioterror agent : Bacillus anthracis. What is anthrax? How is this organism identified in the lab? What about Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis? Tune in to this episode to find out the answers.

76: Bacillus- morphology and media Feb 10, 2023

In this episode I continue going over Bacillus. Now that we know its groups and what diseases they are implicated on, it's time to talk about media and morphology. What do the colonies look like? What is MYP agar? PEMBA? Tune in to find out.

75: Bacillus species Feb 03, 2023

This week's episode is about Bacillus and related genera. What are the groups that are part of this genus? Which species cause food poisoning? What about endophthalmitis? What are spores? Tune in to find out.

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74: Microbes in cleaning appliances and tools Jan 27, 2023

In a previous episode we talked about microbes in food. What about appliances such as a washing machine or a dishwasher? Or cleaning tools such as a sponge? Dr. Madeline Barron joins the podcast to answer those questions. She is the author of an article titled "Microbial Inhabitants of Cleaning Appliances and Tools". Tune in to find out what microbes are in those tools and appliances, recommendations for reducing their number, and more.

Link to article: https://asm.org/Articles/2022/November/Microbial-Inhabitants-Cleaning-Appliances

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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73: Detecting amoeba: development of a PCR test Jan 20, 2023

This episode features an interview with Dr. Jose Alexander and Dustin Evans from AdvenHealth. They join the podcast to talk about a PCR test that they developed to detect amoeba. Not only it detects Naegleria fowleri, which is isolated in cases of Primary Amebic meningoencephalitis, but two other amoeba as well. Which ones does this test detect? Detecting amoeba in the laboratory is challenging due to lack of tests and trained personnel. How does this test compare to others? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://www.adventhealth.com/medical/adventhealthmd/news/adventhealth-physician-and-team-develop-a-new-test-quickly-detect-brain-eating-amoebas

72: Marine Microbiology with Dr. Ocean Dec 23, 2022

In this week's episode we go outside of Clinical Microbiology into Marine Microbiology. What better way to do that than talking with Dr. Jeanette Davis, a.k.a. Dr. Ocean. How do you become a Marine Microbiologist? What kind of work do they do? Besides her work, Dr. Davis is also a published author. Tune in to this episode to learn more!

Dr. Ocean's website: https://drjeanettedavis.com

71: Let's Talk Micro meets ID:iots Dec 16, 2022

This episode features a conversation with Callum, an Infectious Disease physician and one of the co-hosts of ID:iots, an infectious disease podcast. What is their podcast about? What kind of work does an Infectious Disease doctor do? How do their work relates to the laboratory? Tune in for a great talk about the laboratory, challenges we have, and more.

Link to ID:iots podcast: https://idiotspodcasting.buzzsprout.com

70: Microbes and your grocery list Dec 09, 2022

This episodes is about microbes in food. It features a conversation with Dr. Andrea Prinzi. Those of us that work in Microbiology are familiar with foods such as yogurt containing microbes. What about feta cheese? Enterococcus in your food? Tune in to find out more about this interesting topic that includes a popular meat substitute.

Link to article: https://asm.org/Articles/2021/January/Microbes-That-Span-the-Clinical-Lab-and-Your-Groce

69: Online unknowns Dec 02, 2022

One of the ways of assessing and reinforcing a Microbiology student's learning is by giving them unknown organisms. They typically get a broth containing the organism, and they plate it on agar, and perform a gram stain and biochemical testing to properly identify the organism. How can this concept be applied online? This is what this episode is about. Learn how two educators from the University of Nebraska Medical Center incorporated the use of unknowns to remote teaching. How did the students do? How was this done? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00071-22

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the authors :

lmdonner@unmc.edu

mimhoff@unmc.edu

68: Respiratory cultures Nov 18, 2022

In this episode Dr. Andrea Prinzi returns to the podcast to talk about respiratory cultures. What are the types of respiratory cultures? What are the pathogens? What is the significance of yeast in respiratory cultures? Sputum rejection?Tune in to this episode to learn more about these cultures.

Link to article about sputum rejection that Dr. Prinzi mentions in the episode: https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/jcm.16.4.627-631.1982

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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67: Re-release: Wohlfarhtiimonas chitiniclastica Monomicrobial bacteremia Nov 16, 2022

This episode was originally released on February 24 of this year. It features an interview with Dr. Paul Luethy from the University of Maryland Medical Center. It is about a case of Wohlfarhtiimonas chitiniclastica that was seen in bacteremia. Typically this organism is seen in polymicrobial infections. It is being re-released for the benefit of new listeners so it complements the latest episode (66).

Link to article : https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/12/21-0327_article

66: Wohlfahrtiimonas and the fly who cried Wohlf Nov 11, 2022

This episode is about another case of Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica. It was presented in an article titled : "The fly who cried wolf" which was published by the American Society for Microbiology. Drs. David Gaston and Yembur Ahmad joined the podcast to discuss it. Tune in to listen to a great conversation about this organism, including morphology, biochemicals, and so much more.

Link to article: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.01073-21

Check out Dr. Diana Zhong' s twitter page (came up with the tittle of the article) : @doctordianasaur

65: Yersinia pestis Nov 03, 2022

Following the last episode about Yersinia species, on this episode I go over Y. pestis. Why is there concern about encountering Y. pestis in the laboratory? What do you do if you encounter potential bioterror agents? How does the laboratory handle those? As laboratories we are trained on how to recognize, test, handle, and ship these organisms. Tune in to this episode to learn about terms like Laboratory Response Network and the proficiency testing called LPX.

64: Yersinia Oct 27, 2022

Following last week's episode about Y. pestis, what better than to learn about different species of Yersinia. What temperature range does Yersinisia grow at? Have you heard the term "bull's eye"? How about CIN agar? From enterocolitis to different forms of plague, tune in to this episode to lear about Yersinia, including media, biochemicals and more.

63: The source of the Black Death Oct 20, 2022

This episode features an interview with Philip Slavin and Maria Spyrou. They talk about Y. pestis and the second plague pandemic. A historical overview is provided and they talk about how DNA was obtained from 7 individuals buried in two cemeteries in the fourteenth century. Find out how this information points to an early source of the second plague pandemic.

Link to article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04800-3

62: Fabimycin: an antibiotic candidate Oct 13, 2022

This week Dr. Paul Hergenrother from the University of Illinois joins the podcast. Dr. Hergenrother talks about Fabimycin, an antibiotic candidate for gram negative bacteria. What is Fabimycin's mechanism of action? To which bacteria does it show activity against? Any intrinsic resistance? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00598

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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61: Options for teaching microscopy remotely Oct 06, 2022

This episode features an interview with Kathryn Lionetti and Heather Townsend. They are two Microbiology college professors. They implemented two ways of teaching microscopy remotely as a result of the pandemic. Just like other educators, they had to adapt. What do these methods consist of? How did the students perform? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00332-21

60: Learning about Rabies with Dr. Rodney Rohde Sep 28, 2022

Releasing on World Rabies Day (Sept. 28), this episode features an interview with Dr. Rodney Rohde, a Microbiologist and Professor and Chair of the Clinical Laboratory Science program at Texas State University. Dr. Rohde joins the podcast to talk about rabies. What is rabies? How do we acquire it? Prevention? Also, what is World Rabies Day? Tune in to find out.

Dr. Rohde's rabies book and website : https://www.elsevier.com/books/rabies/wilson/978-0-323-63979-8

https://rodneyerohde.wp.txstate.edu/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33659941/

59: Teaching Microbiology Remotely Sep 22, 2022

This episode features an interview with Dr. Garcia- Ojeda from the University of California Merced. One of the results of the pandemic was that educators had to adapt to remote teaching. How do they remotely teach students those hands-on skills that are so important in Microbiology? Dr. Garcia Ojeda talks about what he did with his Microbiology laboratory. What was the outcome? How did the students perform? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00328-21

If you have any questions please email Dr. Garcia Ojeda at:

mgarcia-ojeda@ucmerced.edu

58: S. pneumoniae: testing and more Sep 15, 2022

In this episode I continue going over S. pneumoniae. This time I go over a popular antigen test, and I also discuss molecular testing, including limitations and the importance of correlating the gram stain with the result. Also, have you heard of Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae?

57: Streptococcus pneumoniae Sep 08, 2022

This week I return to Streptococcus, this time S. pneumoniae. In this episode I go over its virulence, pathogenicity, and more. How do we identify it in the lab? What tests can we use? What is the bile solubility test?Tune in to this episode to find out.

56: Critical shortages in Microbiology Sep 01, 2022

This week's episode features an interview with Dr. Jeniffer Dien Bard and Dr. Amy Leber. Dr. Dien Bard is the Director of Microbiology at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Leber works at the Department of Pathology Laboratory Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. They join the podcast this week to talk about the shortages of Clinical Medical Laboratory Professionals in Microbiology. Why do we have these shortages? What about training programs? How long does training a professional takes? Tune in to this episode to find out.

Link to original article: https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00241-22

Link to certification for laboratory personnel: https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed

Link for accredited programs: https://www.naacls.org/Find-a-Program.aspx

55: Michigan Tech University-MLS Summer Youth Program Aug 25, 2022

This episode features an interview with Claire Danielson and Sarah LewAllen form the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at Michigan Tech University (MTU). They discuss an initiative that has been in place for quite some time: the Summer Youth Program. This program brings awareness to the Medical Lab Science profession by teaching high school students about the laboratory.

Episode 54: VRE tests and media Jul 01, 2022

In this episode I go two types of media and one PCR test used for the detection of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE). What is this media composed of? How does it detect VRE? What about this PCR test? What is it looking for? Tune in to find out.

Episode 53: Enterococcus species Jun 24, 2022

In this episode I go over Enterococcus species. What are the most clinically significant species of Enterococcus? Morphology? Biochemicals? Tune in to find out more about these organisms, and why are they so significant in healthcare settings.

Episode 52: Tips and suggestions in Microbiology part two Jun 17, 2022

In this episode I continue going over tips and suggestions you can use when you don't have supplies or are having difficulty isolating an organism. What if you are out of PEA or CNA? Will Lim broth help? What else can you use Martin Lewis and Modified Thayer Martin for ? How do susceptibilities help you isolate an organism? Tune in to find out.

Episode 51: Tips and suggestions in Microbiology Jun 10, 2022

In the laboratory we have all experienced a shortage of supplies. We have also struggled to isolate and organism. What do we do when this happens? What if you are trying to isolate a gram positive cocci but there is no PEA or CNA? What if you need to isolate a Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a mixed culture? Tune in to this episode to find out.

Episode 50: Interview with Dr. Alan Wu Jun 02, 2022

This episode features an interview with Dr. Alan Wu, a professor of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California in San Francisco and co-Laboratory Director. Dr Wu has made numerous contributions to the laboratory field and is making one more: a television show that accurately depicts the laboratory ! Find out more about Dr Wu's show by tuning in to this episode.

Article about the show: https://zsfg.ucsf.edu/news/lab-director-and-author-create-tv-series-highlighting-unsung-heroes-medical-field

Episode 49: Streptococcus anginosus group May 27, 2022

In this episode I continue going over beta hemolytic strep: this time Streptococcus anginosus group. What are the species that compose this group? What is the Lancefield group? What about biochemicals and morphology? Tune in to find out.

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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Episode 48: Talking monkeypox with Dr. Rodney Rohde May 21, 2022

This is a special edition episode. In lieu of all the recent information about monkeypox, Dr. Rodney Rohde comes to the podcast to provide us with some information about this virus. Dr. Rohde is an experienced microbiologist and educator. He is program chair and professor in the Clinical Laboratory Science program at Texas State University. Tune in to learn about monkeypox, including signs, symptoms, treatment options, and outbreak information.

Dr Rhode's most recent publication: https://theconversation.com/what-is-monkeypox-a-microbiologist-explains-whats-known-about-this-smallpox-cousin-183499

Episode 47: Streptococcus dysgalactiae May 20, 2022

This week I continue going over beta hemolytic strep: this time Streptococcus dysgalactiae. What Lancefield group is it? What about media, biochemicals and pathogenicity? Tune in to find out the answers.

Episode 46: University of Utah MLS- Summer Immersion Program May 12, 2022

This episode features an interview with Dr. Lacy Moss, a professor at the University of Utah Medical Laboratory Sciences program. She joins the podcast to discuss an initiative launched by the MLS program and the University: the Summer Immersion Program. In this program high school students will learn about laboratory medicine. How does it work? How does it help the Medical Laboratory Sciences profession? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://medicine.utah.edu/pathology/medical-laboratory-science/news/med-lab-sci-summer-immersion-program.php

Episode 45: Talking Breakpoints with Dr. Andrea Prinzi May 06, 2022

This episode features an interview with Dr. Andrea Prinzi, an infectious disease medical science liaison and a contributor of many articles published in the American Society for Microbiology website. She comes to Let's Talk Micro to talk about antimicrobial susceptibility testing and breakpoints. Many laboratories are or have been using outdated breakpoints? What is the significance of this? How are breakpoints updated? Tune in to this episode to find out and check out Dr. Prinzi's article on the subject.

Link to article: https://asm.org/Articles/2022/February/Updating-Breakpoints-in-Antimicrobial-Susceptibili

Episode 44: Talking BacterioSight and urine cultures with Dr. Rhoads Apr 28, 2022

What is BacterioSight? As automation becomes a larger part of Laboratory Medicine, how could it help with urine cultures? This episode features an interview with Dr. Daniel Rhoads from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Dr. Rhoades talks about BacterioSight, a deep learning model that was used to interpret images from urine cultures. Other areas of the laboratory already have systems where some results autofile. What if this could be applied to cultures in Microbiology? Tune in to this episode to find out more about BacterioSight and its potential applications.

Link to article: https://academic.oup.com/clinchem/article-abstract/68/4/574/6520601?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Episode 43: The Microbe Moment talks micro with me Apr 19, 2022

This episode features a collaboration between two Microbiology podcasts: The Microbe Moment and Let's Talk Micro. On this episode I am the one being interviewed. Find out what is like being a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) in Microbiology and what teaching is like. What does an MLS do? What are the responsibilities of a supervisor? What about teaching? Find out by listening to this episode.

Episode 42: Talking HIV with Dr. Hsu Apr 14, 2022

This week Let's Talk Micro is talking virology, specifically about the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This episode features an interview with Dr. Hsu, a stem cell specialist from the Weill Medical College at Cornell University in New York. She discusses an article about a patient that has been possibly cured from HIV after a stem cell transplant with cord blood cells. What is the CCR5 gene? What is its relationship to HIV? Tune in to find out about this interesting article.

Link to article: https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2022/02/patient-possibly-cured-of-hiv-infection-by-special-stem-cell-transplant

Episode 41: Talking Neisseria with Charlene Kahler Apr 07, 2022

This episode features an interview with Dr. Charlene Kahler from the Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training at the University of Western Australia. She discusses and article titled "Neisseria species and their complicated relationships with human health". Tune in to this episode to find out more information about different species of Neisseria and their significance in the human body.

Link to article: https://www.publish.csiro.au/ma/fulltext/ma21024

Episode 40: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and automated susceptibility testing Mar 31, 2022

This episodes features an interview with Dr. Ayesha Khan, one of the authors of a study performed on automated susceptibility testing on S. maltophilia. Three systems were evaluated. How did they perform? Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a very significant organism that has a high level of intrinsic antibiotic resistance. What are the challenges with breakpoints? Tune in to find out.

Episode 39: Talking disk diffusion performed on early growth Mar 24, 2022

This episode features an interview with Dr. Carey-Ann Burnham, Dr. Daniel Webber and Meghan Wallace from Washington University in St. Louis. They are the authors of a study where disk diffusion testing was performed on isolates that had an incubation time of 6 hours. One of the challenges in Microbiology is time. In Microbiology organisms are incubated for 18 to 24 hours, Tune in to this episode to find out the results of this study.

Link to article is attached.

Episode 38: Staphylococcus singaporensis Mar 17, 2022

In January there was an episode about Staphylococcus argenteus, a member of the S. aureus complex. This episode features an interview about a new member of the Staphylococcus aureus complex: Staphylococcus singaporensis. Dr . Jeanette Teo joins the podcast to discuss her study about this organism. How similar is S. singaporensis to S. aureus? Any virulence factors? Tune in to find out.

Episode 37: GBS testing Mar 11, 2022

What is Todd Hewitt broth? Is it the same as LIM broth? What's in it? In this episode I go over Todd Hewitt Broth, and two PCR tests used for the detection of S. agalactiae (GBS).

Episode 36: Streptococcus agalactiae Mar 04, 2022

In this episode I continue going over species of Streptococcus. This week's episode is about Streptococcus agalactiae. What is the Lancefield group of this Strep species? Is it pathogenic?. Tune in to this episode to find the answer to these questions and more.

Episode 35: Talking Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica Feb 25, 2022

Wohlfahrtiimonas what? Have you heard about this organism? It is a gram negative rod and it is very unusual. In this episode Dr. Paul Luethy from the University of Maryland School of Medicine comes to the podcast to discuss a case regarding this organism. How is it identified? Does it grow on standard media? What about susceptibilities? Tune in to this episode to find out.

The case was published in the Emergent Infectious Diseases journal from the CDC .

Link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/12/21-0327_article

Episode 34: Group A Strep Testing Feb 18, 2022

In this episode I go over three tests used for the detection of S. pyogenes: two antigen based and one PCR. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each one? Do negative results need to be confirmed by a culture? Tune in to find out.

Episode 33: Streptococcus pyogenes Feb 11, 2022

After going over Staph and other gram positive cocci (gpc) in clusters, now is the turn for gram positive cocci in chains. This week's episode is about S. pyogenes or Group A Strep (GAS). What is the clinical significance of GAS? How do we identify it in the lab?. Tune in to this episode to find the answers to these questions and more.

Episode 32: Talking Lab with Xander and Maria Feb 04, 2022

This episode goes beyond Microbiology. It is about Medical Laboratory Sciences. In the episode I talk to Xander Fernandes and Maria Roussakis, two Medical Laboratory Technologists from Ontario, Canada. They talk about their website, medlabscholar.com, which contains great resources for Medical Laboratory Science students and professionals. What can we do to bring more awareness to this profession? Tune in to find out.

Episode 31: CNS, Micrococcus and Aerococcus Jan 28, 2022

In this week's episode I continue going over Coagulase negative Staph. I also go over other gram positive cocci in clusters such as Micrococcus and Aerococcus. Are these pathogenic? How do we identify them in the lab? Tune in to find out.

Episode 30: Coagulase Negative Staph Jan 21, 2022

In this episode I go over Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus or CNS. Are they pathogenic or normal flora? Do we identify them or is a presumptive identification enough? Tune in to this episode to find out.

Episode 29: Talking Staphylococcus argenteus Jan 14, 2022

This episode features an interview with Dr. Robin Patel and Dr. Audrey Schuetz to discuss an article titled "Phenotypic and Genomic Profiling of Staphylococcus argenteus in Canada and the United States and Recommendations for Clinical Result Reporting". They are Co-Directors of the Bacteriology Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Challenges in identifying this organism are discussed. Staphylococcus argenteus is part of the Staphylococcus aureus complex, and is very similar to S. aureus, including morphology, biochemicals and clinical manifestations. See links for the article.

Episode 28: Chromogenic agar for MRSA and more Dec 17, 2021

This the last episode of 2021. What is chromogenic agar? In this episode I go over chromogenic agar used to detect MRSA. I also talk about Mannitol salt agar and how it aids in the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus.

Episode 27: Staphylococcus aureus, biochemicals and MRSA Dec 10, 2021

On this episode I go over how to identify Staphylococcus aureus from a standard set of agar plates. I also go over a test used to determine if this organism is an MRSA or not.

Episode 26: Staphylococcus aureus Dec 03, 2021

In this episode I talk about Staphylococcus aureus. This is one of the most common organisms seen in Clinical Microbiology and a very serious one. Tune in to find about more about this organism, including its pathogenicity and significance in health care settings.

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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Episode 25: MALDI-TOF (part 2) Nov 26, 2021

This episode is part two of a two-part episode. What are the limitations of the Vitek MS? In this episode I go over the limitations of the Vitek MS regarding identification of organisms. I also go over the pros and cons of having this system in the laboratory.

Episode 24: MALDI-TOF (part 1) Nov 19, 2021

What is MALDI-TOF? How is it used in Clinical Microbiology?. This is the first part of a two part episode where I discuss MALDI-TOF, and its applications in Clinical Microbiology.

Episode 23: Pasteurella, why is it my favorite? Oct 29, 2021

Instagram follower suggestion: After mentioning on a post that Pasteurella was my favorite, a follower suggested for me to make an episode about it. In this episode I talk about Pasteurella, and why do I like it.

Episode 22: Anaerobic agar Oct 22, 2021

In this episode I continue going over anaerobic bacteria. Is blood agar sufficient to recover anaerobes? Listen to this episode to learn about different media used for the recovery of anaerobic bacteria.

Episode 21: Anaerobes: Sources and incubation Oct 15, 2021

In this episode I continue going over anaerobes. Are all sources acceptable for anaerobic cultures? How do you achieve the anaerobic environment these organisms need to grow? Find out in this episode.

Episode 20: An introduction to anaerobes Oct 01, 2021

What is anaerobic bacteria? What is a facultative anaerobe? In this episode I introduce anaerobic bacteria and its relationship to oxygen and growth. Some species are mentioned.

Episode 19: Thioglycolate broth Sep 24, 2021

Following up Dania's interview, in this episode I go over thioglycolate broth. What is it used for? Is it helpful in cultures? Listen to find out.

Episode 18: Talking Micro with Dania Casellas Sep 17, 2021

This week's episode features Let's Talk Micro's second interview. Dania Casellas is a microbiologist that performs testing on donor organs.

Episode 17: Gram negative cocci Sep 10, 2021

In this episode I continue going over tests and biochemicals for gram negative cocci. In addition I briefly go over different species of gram negative cocci and introduce new agar: Martin Lewis and Modified Thayer Martin.

Episode 16: Catarrhalis disk Sep 03, 2021

In this episode I start going over tests and biochemicals for gram negative cocci. First up, the catarrhalis disk, used for the identification of Moraxella catarrhalis.

Episode 15: Urease test Aug 27, 2021

What is the urease test? What is the principle of it? Is it only used for gram negative rods? In this episode I go over the urea test, including its principle, reactions, and its differences and similarities to the TSI and LIA tests.

Episode 14: Lysine Iron Agar Aug 20, 2021

What is the lysine iron agar test? What is it used for? In this episode I go over this test including reactions and comparing and contrasting it with the TSI test.

Episode 13: Triple Sugar Iron Aug 13, 2021

What is TSI? Which organisms is it used for? In this episode I go over the Triple Sugar Iron test, including its components, how does it work and examples of organisms and their reactions.

Episode 12: Hektoen, XLD and more Aug 06, 2021

In this episode I go over media that Karla Zamora mentioned in her interview such as Hektoen, XLD and Palcam. I discuss components of the agar, colonial morphology and more.

Episode 11: A conversation with Karla Zamora Jul 30, 2021

Let's Talk Micro's first interview features a conversation with Karla Zamora, an environmental microbiologist from Mexico. In this episode she talks about her work including techniques and organisms she works with.

Episode 10: Oxidase Jul 23, 2021

In this episode I continue going over biochemicals for gram negative rods: oxidase. I also briefly discuss some species of gram negative rods and their oxidase results.

Episode 9: Indole Jul 16, 2021

What is indole? What do we use it for? Last week I finished going over biochemicals for gram positive cocci. In this week I start with biochemicals for gram negative rods: indole.

Optochin and Microdase disk Jul 09, 2021

In this episode I continue going over tests and biochemicals that aid in identifying gram positive cocci: optochin for S. pneumoniae and microdase disk for Micrococcus species.

Episode 7: PYR and Strep Typing Jul 02, 2021

What is PYR? What is strep typing? What are they used for? In this episode I go over these tests and their use in identifying gram positive cocci in the laboratory.

Episode 6: Biochemicals- Catalase and Coagulase Jun 25, 2021

What are biochemicals? How are they useful in the identification of bacteria? In this episode I start going over biochemicals: catalase and coagulase, two of the most commonly used biochemicals in Clinical Microbiology.

Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com

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Episode 5: 40x Objective- What do we use it for? Jun 18, 2021

What do we use the 40x objective for? What are the differences between this objective and 10x and 100x? In this episode I go over the uses of the 40x objective.

Episode 4: Blood Culture Gram Stains Jun 11, 2021

What are blood cultures? Why are they important? In this episode I go over blood culture gram stains, including reporting and media setup. Are they different from other gram stains? Listen to this episode to find out.

Episode 3: Gram Stain morphology and reporting Jun 04, 2021

In this week's episode I go over the different morphologies and arrangements of cells. What do we look for when we are reading a gram stain? I go over this including the reporting guidelines.

Episode 2- Gram stains May 28, 2021

What is a gram stain? What are the sample requirements? In this episode I go over the gram stain technique including preparing a slide and staining it.