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198: Let's Talk: The Evolution of AST Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Season 5 premieres today!

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is essential for guiding effective treatment—but how has it evolved, and what challenges are we still facing?

In the first episode of this series in collaboration with bioMérieux, Dr. Andrea Prinzi joins Let's Talk Micro to explore the evolution of AST—from early methods to modern platforms like VITEK 2. We discuss the known issue of outdated breakpoints in clinical practice, the challenges with regulatory hurdles, and the impact of the 21st Century Cures Act.

What is the Cures Act, and how does it affect the way breakpoints are adopted? Why are delays still happening? And most importantly—what can laboratories, organizations, and manufacturers do to drive change?

Tune in to understand where we've been, where we are, and where we need to go in the world of AST.

This episode is sponsored by bioMérieux, a global innovator in infectious disease diagnostics.

Resources from bioMérieux: https://info.biomerieux.com/clin_us_2024_ams_handbook?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=LetsTalkMicro

Additional breakpoint links: https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00106-25

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TBT: Talking Breakpoints with Dr. Andrea Prinzi Jul 31, 2025

Show notes

This episode of Let's Talk Micro features Dr. Andrea Prinzi, a clinical microbiologist and frequent contributor to the American Society for Microbiology. Andrea joins the podcast to discuss a critical topic in clinical microbiology: antimicrobial susceptibility testing and breakpoints.

Are labs using outdated breakpoints—and what does that mean for patient care? How are breakpoints determined and updated? Dr. Prinzi breaks it all down and shares insights from her article on the subject.

Tune in to learn why staying current on breakpoints matters and what steps labs can take to improve antimicrobial stewardship.

This episode was originally published on May 5th, 2022.

Check out the website: https://www.letstalkmicro.com/

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

https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00106-25

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TBT: Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

The Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook (CMPH) has long been a trusted resource for laboratories. With the release of its 5th edition, this essential reference continues to guide clinical microbiologists through evolving standards, methods, and best practices.

In this episode, Luis is joined by the editors‑in‑chief, Dr. Amy Leber and Dr. Carey‑Ann Burnham, to explore what's new in the latest edition, how the CMPH supports day‑to‑day work in the lab, and why it remains a cornerstone in clinical microbiology.

(Originally published May 4, 2023.)

Check out the website: https://www.letstalkmicro.com/

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195: Diabetic Wound Cultures: From Chaos to Clarity in the Micro Lab Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

This week, Luis is joined by Dr. Christopher Doern from VCU Health to explore the complex world of diabetic wound cultures. How does diabetes impair wound healing—and what makes these infections so difficult to diagnose and treat? Dr. Doern dives into the microbiology behind diabetic foot wounds, highlighting the impact of bacterial diversity, specimen quality, and the limitations of traditional culture methods. He also shares best practices for workup strategies and antibiotic selection in these often polymicrobial infections.

Link to studies mentioned in the episode:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28669650/

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-481X.2011.00937.x

https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/10/10/ofad495/7292955

Want to be added to Dr. Doern's email list? Reach out to christopher.doern@vcuhealth.org

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194: Live from ASM Microbe 2025: Poster Highlights, Trends & Takeaways Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

Recorded live at ASM Microbe 2025, this episode captures the energy of the American Society for Microbiology's annual event. Luis shares his top takeaways from the conference floor—including standout poster presentations, emerging technologies, and trending topics in microbiology. One clear theme dominated this year: rapid diagnostics for identification and susceptibility testing. Tune in for a front-row seat to the latest in clinical microbiology innovation.

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

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193: ASM 2025: Fast Science. Big Cases Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we dive into the fast-paced world of rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Recorded live from ASM Microbe 2025, Luis is joined by Dr. Carey-Ann Burnham, CEO of Pattern Bioscience and Editor-in-Chief of the ASM Case Reports journal. Together, they explore how innovative technologies—like single-cell microbiology—are transforming clinical microbiology and accelerating diagnostic results. What is single-cell microbiology, and how does it improve rapid diagnostics? They also discuss case reports from ASM that highlight the real-world impact of timely diagnostic tools on patient care. It's where speed meets science—and the stories behind the data truly matter.

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192: Stronger Together: Partnerships in Diagnostics Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

How familiar are you with partnerships and collaborations between the laboratory and the diagnostics industry? In this episode Luis is joined by Dr. Andrea Prinzi and Dr. Kristen Smith to explore how partnerships between clinical labs, public health institutions, and the diagnostics industry drive innovation in in-vitro diagnostics (IVDs). What is the IVD pipeline? From discovery to product launch and beyond, these collaborations improve patient care, accelerate access to new technologies, and enhance public health outcomes. Why breaking silos and fostering inclusive partnerships is essential for the future of diagnostics? Tune in to find out.

Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinmicnews.2025.04.001

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191: TBT- Talking HIV with Dr. Hsu Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

TBT- This week Let's Talk Micro is talking about 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.

This episode was originally published on April 14th , 2022.

Link to article:

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

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190: Aztreonam-avibactam May 29, 2025

Show notes

This week Luis is joined by Dr. Callan Bleick and Dr. Mohammed Al Musawa to talk about an antibiotic that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): aztreonam-avibactam. Our guests wrote a review about this drug and they joined the podcast to talk about it. What is aztreonam? What is avibactam? Why combine them? What type of activity has it demonstrated against beta-lactamase producing organisms? When will it be available? Tune in for more information.

Link to review:

https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.4629

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

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189: Outbreak Detection System May 22, 2025

Show notes

There are many challenges when it comes to outbreak detection. It involves surveillance, time, and effort among other factors. Some of these challenges are linking multiple patients to an outbreak, or investigating a potential outbreak that turns out to be separate occurrences of an infection. In this episode Luis is joined by Dr. Alex Sundermann to talk about an outbreak detection system developed by his team at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. What components did they use to develop this system? What were the major outcomes? Is there a potential for laboratories to develop a system like this one?

Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaf216

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

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