Advancements in Microbiology Diagnostics and the 16S Ribosomal RNA Gene

Time Stamps

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:30 Introduction of Robin Patel, M.D. the Division Chair of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic 

00:42 What is the 16S Ribosomal RNA gene?

1:28  How is it detected and sequenced in clinical microbiology?

2:33 What does this mean for physicians and their patients now that this is something that can be done in the microbiology lab?

4:23 How has the testing for this gene changed?

5:58 Can you take us through an interesting case you have come across?

9:47 What are the limitations when you’re talking about this kind of testing?

11:15 Where is this headed? Are we headed towards next-gen sequencing for 16S?

11:51 So, that will be helpful when you’re talking about using it directly on a patient sample vs. a pure colony that you’re using the testing on?

12:29 What’s the turnaround time for this kind of test? 

14:08 Where does this 16S Ribosomal RNA gene testing fit in the toolbox of who should be ordering this?

15:21 What is it that you wish the medical community knew about the microbiology lab?

16:34 Outro

Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5652441/
https://jcm.asm.org/content/55/9/2599