In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we continue our gram-negative cocci series with a closer look at Moraxella catarrhalis —better known at the bench as the hockey puck bug. We break down what makes this organism unique, from its classic sliding colony morphology to how it behaves in different patient populations. Is it a colonizer or a pathogen? The answer depends on the clinical context. We walk through its role in pediatric infections like otitis media and sinusitis, its significance in adul...
Apr 30, 2026•18 min•Season 5Ep. 231
In this week's episode, we continue our series on gram-negative cocci and take a closer look at two of the most important organisms: Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. On the Gram stain, they may look the same—but clinically, they represent very different scenarios. We walk through colonization, transmission, and key virulence factors, and connect them to the infections they cause—from meningitis and invasive disease to mucosal and disseminated gonococcal infections. We also bring...
Apr 23, 2026•25 min•Season 5Ep. 230
In this episode we continue our gram-negative cocci series by moving beyond the plate and into modern identification methods. From traditional systems like VITEK and RapID NH to MALDI-TOF and molecular testing, we explore how these organisms are identified in today's clinical microbiology lab. We also break down the role of NAATs and syndromic panels in detecting organisms like Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, especially in situations where culture may be delayed or negative. Th...
Apr 16, 2026•26 min•Season 5Ep. 229
In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we continue our gram-negative cocci series by focusing on what to do after the Gram stain. You've identified gram-negative cocci—now what? We take a practical, bench-focused approach to working these organisms up, covering key culture media like blood agar, chocolate agar, and selective media such as Modified Thayer-Martin and Martin-Lewis. We also review collection and transport considerations, including JEMBEC and CO₂ requirements for Neisseria gonorrhoeae ...
Apr 09, 2026•28 min•Season 5Ep. 228
In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we kick off a new series on gram-negative cocci by starting where it all begins—the Gram stain. Seeing gram-negative diplococci on a smear can feel intimidating, especially when you're on the bench and need to make the right call. In this episode, we focus on how to approach that moment with confidence. We walk through the key organisms you'll encounter, including Neisseria, Moraxella, and Veillonella, and discuss how morphology, specimen source, and clinical...
Apr 02, 2026•20 min•Season 5Ep. 227
The CLSI M100 gets updated every year—but what do those changes actually mean for the microbiology lab? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Dr. April Bobenchik to break down the latest updates in the CLSI M100 2026 (36th edition) and how they translate into real-world lab practice. They walk through important breakpoint changes, including aztreonam–avibactam and updates for Acinetobacter , along with new additions like trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole breakpoints for beta-hemolyt...
Mar 26, 2026•39 min•Season 5Ep. 226
Luis here with a quick update! We're taking a short break and will return the week of March 23rd. During this time, it's a great opportunity to explore the archive— Let's Talk Micro has over 200 episodes covering many topics in clinical microbiology. New episodes will be back soon. Thanks for listening and for being part of the Let's Talk Micro community. Stay connected with Let's Talk Micro: Website: letstalkmicro.com Questions or feedback? Email me at letstalkmicro@outlook.com Interested in be...
Mar 10, 2026•1 min
Wound cultures are some of the most complex specimens encountered in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Unlike more straightforward cultures, wound specimens often contain multiple organisms, making it challenging to determine which microbes are clinically significant and which represent colonization. In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Dr. Christopher Doern and Dr. Alexandra Bryson to discuss the wound culture guidelines from the Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook (...
Mar 06, 2026•57 min•Season 5Ep. 225
The Gram stain is one of the most trusted tools in clinical microbiology—but it doesn't always tell the full story. In this Micro Minutes episode, we break down why Gram stains can sometimes be misleading and how factors like culture age, antibiotic exposure, decolorization, morphology, and arrangement can change what you see under the microscope. We also touch on classic troublemakers like Acinetobacter and tiny coccobacilli such as Pasteurella and Haemophilus, and how careful observation can k...
Feb 27, 2026•14 min•Season 5Ep. 224
In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we step beyond the microbiology bench to talk laboratory medicine, advocacy, and storytelling with fellow medical laboratory scientists and podcasters Stephanie Whitehead and Aaron Odegard. We explore how their work on the SuperStat Podcast is helping amplify the voice of the laboratory through conversations on leadership, access, and visibility. The discussion also highlights Little Lab Learners: ABCs of Laboratory Medicine, a children's book created to intr...
Feb 20, 2026•52 min•Season 5Ep. 223
In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Dr. Joel Mortensen to discuss a study examining intestinal parasites in pediatric patients in Guinea, West Africa. They dive into the real-world challenges of diagnosing parasitic infections in resource-limited settings, including reliance on stool microscopy, the use of rapid antigen tests, and how seasonal changes influence infection rates. Dr. Mortensen walks us through the study design, key findings, and what the data revealed about prot...
Feb 13, 2026•49 min•Season 5Ep. 222
Genomic epidemiology is reshaping how we detect, investigate, and control infectious disease outbreaks—but what does that actually look like from the bench to public health? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by genomic epidemiologist Krisandra Allen for a practical, case-based conversation on how pathogen sequencing data is generated, analyzed, and paired with epidemiologic information to answer questions traditional methods can't. They discuss foodborne and hepatitis A outbrea...
Feb 06, 2026•36 min•Season 5Ep. 221
In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by faculty and collaborators from the University of Florida to discuss their new Clinical Laboratory Microbiologist (CLM) program — the first NAACLS-approved, microbiology-only certification pathway in the United States. They share how the program was created to address the growing shortage of clinical microbiologists and provide a direct pathway for microbiology graduates and working professionals to enter the clinical laboratory. The conversa...
Jan 30, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 220
Tick-borne diseases continue to expand across North America, but diagnosing them in the clinical laboratory remains complex—especially when timing between symptom onset and testing isn't considered. In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Kyle Rodino, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Assistant Director of Microbiology, for a lab-focused discussion on tick-borne disease diagnostics. They cover major bacterial, parasitic,...
Jan 23, 2026•59 min•Season 5Ep. 219
In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we break down metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and how it's changing the way we diagnose complex infectious diseases. I'm joined by Steve Miller, MD, PhD—Chief Medical Officer at Delve Bio—to discuss how unbiased metagenomics moved from research labs into real-world clinical practice. We cover what metagenomics is, how it differs from targeted PCR and sequencing, and where it adds the most value—especially in meningitis and encephalitis, immunoco...
Jan 16, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Season 5Ep. 218
PEA agar is often treated as "the gram-positive plate," but that shortcut can lead to real bench-level mistakes. In this MicroMinutes episode, we break down what phenylethyl alcohol agar actually does, why growth on PEA does not automatically mean an organism is gram-positive, and how selective media can change colony appearance and behavior. You'll hear about: What PEA inhibits — and what it doesn't Why Pseudomonas aeruginosa can grow quite well on PEA How colony morphology and hemolysis may di...
Dec 19, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 217
In this special episode, I'm joined by three leaders who helped shape the conversation at the 2025 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Summit in Detroit: Dr. Lauren Hunt, Dr. Linoj Samuel, and Dr. Robert Tibbetts. Together, we explore how this intimate, multidisciplinary summit brought together clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, stewardship, public health, policy, and veterinary medicine to tackle the growing challenges of antimicrobial resistance. We break down the key themes that emerged t...
Dec 12, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 216
What does antimicrobial resistance look like when your patients range from dogs and cats to cattle, wildlife, and everything in between? And how do we make sense of AST, breakpoints, contamination, and genotypic tools across such a diverse microbiological world? In this episode, Luis is joined by Dr. Kelli Maddock, DrPH (North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory) and Dr. Stephen Cole (University of Pennsylvania), two leaders shaping the future of veterinary microbiology, ant...
Dec 05, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 215
In this final episode of our special four-part series in partnership with bioMérieux, we bring all the pieces together. Throughout the series, we explored the diagnostic pathway from multiple angles: Episode 1: The evolution of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) Episode 2: Molecular diagnostics for bloodstream infections Episode 3: FAST AST and the impact of getting susceptibility data hours sooner Today, in Episode 4, we shift to diagnostic stewardship and lab optimization — the strateg...
Nov 21, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 214
In this Micro Minutes episode, Luis breaks down classic microbiology traits that usually hold true, but not always. From indole-negative E. coli to non-swarming Proteus and oxidase-negative Pseudomonas , this quick episode highlights real-world exceptions that can catch techs and students off guard. Learn how to spot: Indole-negative E. coli (98% rule + inactive biotypes) Lactose-fermenting look-alikes like Citrobacter freundii Proteus species that don't swarm Pseudomonas species that test oxida...
Nov 14, 2025•11 min•Season 5Ep. 213
Welcome to the very first Micro Minutes, a new quick-hit series from Let's Talk Micro designed for students, techs, and anyone who wants fast, practical microbiology insights in under 10 minutes. In this episode, we tackle a common misconception that microbiologists can make at the bench when interpreting a single plate: MacConkey agar. Many assume: "If it doesn't grow on MacConkey, it's not a gram-negative rod." "If it does grow on MacConkey, it must be a gram-negative rod." Both are wrong — an...
Nov 07, 2025•10 min•Season 5Ep. 211
In the third installment of our special series in partnership with bioMérieux, Luis welcomes back Dr. Sonali Kalathiya, infectious diseases pharmacist and medical advisor at bioMérieux, to explore how innovation is accelerating antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Together they dive into FAST AST—a phenotypic susceptibility test that delivers actionable results directly from positive blood cultures in hours instead of days. They discuss how this technology works, how it complements molecu...
Oct 30, 2025•37 min•Season 5Ep. 211
Just back from IDWeek 2025 in Atlanta, Luis shares the sessions and posters that defined this year's meeting — from next-generation sequencing and diagnostic stewardship to AI in the microbiology lab and new antimicrobials on the horizon. Tune in for insights on: NGS test utilization and stewardship New β-lactamase inhibitors like nacubactam AI's growing role in clinical microbiology Tedizolid and the importance of optimizing existing agents 🎧 Whether you were in Atlanta or following from afar,...
Oct 23, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 210
En este episodio en español de Let 's Talk Micro, el Dr. Germán Esparza Sánchez , microbiólogo clínico, miembro del CLSI y consultor de la OPS/OMS, comparte las actualizaciones más recientes del documento M100 y cómo impactan la práctica microbiológica. Desde la eliminación de puntos de corte para Burkholderia cepacia hasta los nuevos antibióticos como aztreonam-avibactam, durlobactam-sulbactam y cefiderocol, analizamos los retos de aplicar las guías del CLSI en los laboratorios latinoamericanos...
Oct 21, 2025•37 min•Season 5Ep. 209
Puerto Rico is entering a new era in microbiome research. In this episode, Luis speaks with Dr. Filipa Godoy-Vitorino about the newly established Microbiome Center of Puerto Rico — a hub designed to strengthen research, collaboration, and training across the Caribbean. Dr. Godoy-Vitorino shares how the center is helping scientists access expertise in bioinformatics and data analysis, offering bilingual workshops, and expanding representation of Caribbean populations in global microbiome studies....
Oct 16, 2025•47 min•Season 5Ep. 208
In this second half of our discussion with Dr. Erin McCreary and Dr. Hannah Creager, we dive deeper into how microbiology and antimicrobial stewardship teams collaborate to improve patient outcomes. They unpack how to prioritize breakpoint updates, the pros and cons of cascade reporting, and what nudges can do to guide better prescribing. Then we explore a powerful example of collaboration—the transition from MRSA agar to PCR across hospitals—and what it taught both teams about communication, re...
Oct 09, 2025•41 min•Season 5Ep. 207
Good communication isn't optional—it's essential for patient care. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Dr. Erin McCreary and Dr. Hannah Creager join Luis to talk about how microbiology labs and antimicrobial stewardship teams can collaborate more effectively. They share real-world examples from their system-wide work—aligning AST panels and breakpoints across multiple platforms, navigating reporting challenges like the clindamycin D-test and rifampin comments, and building consistent communicatio...
Oct 02, 2025•45 min•Season 5Ep. 206
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has released new guidelines for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections. In this episode, we break down the key updates: Changes to the definition of complicated UTIs The role of newer antibiotic agents How and when to use antibiograms A four-step framework for guiding therapy When carbapenems are necessary—and when other options may be just as effective Shorter durations of therapy Join Dr. Barbara Trautner, Dr. Nicolas Cortés-Penf...
Sep 25, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 205
Bloodstream infections can progress rapidly to sepsis—bringing high costs, high mortality, and lasting effects. In the second episode of this series in collaboration with bioMérieux, Luis speaks with Dr. Jeff Cies, Senior Medical Advisor at bioMérieux, about how molecular diagnostics are reshaping bloodstream infection diagnosis. They discuss: Limitations of traditional blood cultures How rapid molecular tests deliver results faster than ever The impact on outcomes, costs, and antimicrobial resi...
Sep 18, 2025•36 min•Season 5Ep. 204
Brucella is a familiar name in the lab—but recent updates to the sentinel guidelines are reshaping how we approach this pathogen. In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Laura Filkins and Dr. Paige Larkin to discuss the latest changes: updates in nomenclature, the removal of certain Brucella species from the select agent list, and the renewed emphasis on safety in the lab. We dive into taxonomy controversies, clinical features of brucellosis, and practical steps laboratorians can take to protect them...
Sep 11, 2025•45 min•Season 5Ep. 203
