Let's Talk Micro

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 Want to support the podcast? Here's how: Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro [https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro] Buy me a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro [https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro]

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. Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com Want to support the podcast? Here's how: Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro [https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro] Buy me a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro [https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro]

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 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinmicnews.2025.04.001] Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com Want to support the podcast? Here's how: Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro [https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro] Buy me a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro [https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro]

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 [https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2022/02/patient-possibly-cured-of-hiv-infection-by-special-stem-cell-transplant] Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com Want to support the podcast? Here's how: Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro [https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro] Buy me a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro [https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro]

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 [https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.4629]   Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com Want to support the podcast? Here's how: Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro [https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro] Buy me a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro [https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro]