Microbe Magazine Podcast

Is the future of cervical cancer screening non-invasive? Sharmila Manjeshwar, Ph.D. and Jeffrey Klausner M.D. MPH, discuss a breakthrough in HPV diagnostics: urine-based testing. While vaccination and clinical screening have reduced cervical cancer rates, participation has stalled due to barriers like healthcare access and the invasive nature of traditional clinician-collected samples. This conversation explores how novel high-volume urine concentration technology is changing the landscape, making screening more accessible, private, and efficient. Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/am7NvL1Y0g4 Guests: Sharmila Manjeshwar, Ph.D. Jeffrey Klausner M.D. MPH Links:  Performance of a novel, urine-based test for the detection of cervical human papillomavirus infection This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM) and Elitza (Elli) Theel, Ph.D., D(ABMM).  Visit journals.asm.org/journal/jcm to

Most microbiome research focuses on soil, oceans, or hosts. But the atmosphere itself harbors diverse communities of bacteria and fungi that move between ecosystems. This episode explores a recent mBio study comparing airborne microbial communities above a subalpine forest and a grassland in Colorado. The conversation unpacks what the "aerobiome" is, how scientists actually sample microbes from the air, and why height, time of day, and season matter. The study reveals striking differences between fungi and bacteria, with fungi showing strong site-specific structure and environmental sensitivity, while bacteria appear more ubiquitous. They also discuss "vertical filtering," long-distance dispersal, and what these findings mean for pathogen spread, ecosystem connectivity, and climate change. The atmosphere is not empty space, it is an active conduit connecting microbial life across landscapes. Guests: Carolyn R. Cornell, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural BiologyColorado State University Jane E. Stewart, Ph.D

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (or MALDI) has revolutionized the clinical microbiology laboratory, enabling rapid, accurate and cheap identification of bacteria, yeast, moulds and mycobacteria. In most labs, it has become a verb (I maldi'ed it). But – can it replace our antimicrobial susceptibility tests? Let's find out! Guests: Dr. Frieder Schaumburg Niklas Wiesmann

In the inaugural episode of Editors in Conversation mBio edition, Marvin Whiteley speaks with Arturo Casadevall, infectious-disease physician-scientist, founding Editor in Chief of mBio, and a leading voice in fungal pathogenesis and scientific rigor. They explore how climate change may be reshaping the fungal kingdom, potentially eroding the thermal barrier that has historically protected humans from most fungal pathogens. Using Candida auris (C auris) as a case study, they discuss heat adaptation, antifungal resistance, and what climate change could mean for future outbreaks. The conversation also examines fungal pandemics in pop culture, the challenges of antifungal drug development, and the promise of vaccines and biotechnology. Fungi are both threat and ally in a changing world, and understanding them has never been more urgent. Guest: Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D. - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Infectious-disease physician-scientist, Founding Editor in Chief of mBio® Links:  On

The Interdisciplinary Meeting of Antimicrobial Resistance and Innovation has launched! The first version of IMARI brought together researchers, clinicians, industry leaders and policymakers to address one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine: antimicrobial resistance" Check the highlights at IMARI.org and prepare for IMARI 2017 from January 27-29, 2027! The inaugural amazing conference took place in Las Vegas. This is the forst time that ASM and IDSA collaborate together in a scientific meeting. One of the sessions involved an unprecedent collaboration between two journals AAC and JID published by each society. To celebrate this achievement we had a session of the best AMR papers of 2025 for AAC and JID. This session will be presented here as apart of our series.  Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/XRYl7863z34 Objectives: - Review the best papers and topics of AMR in 2025 form AAC and JID. - Discuss the context of each finding and contributions to the AMR community - Elaborate on the implications f

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing humanity – and is not a future problem. Changes to the Earth's climate driven by emission of greenhouse gases have led to glaciers shrinking, plant and animal geographic ranges shifting and historical droughts, wildfires and rainfall. What does all of this have to do with the clinical laboratory?  Subscribe to Editors in Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Android, Spotify, or Email and never miss an episode. Guests: Dr. Joesph Wiencek, Director of Clinical Chemistry and Associate Professor at VUMC Andrea Prinzi, Ph.D., MPH, SM(ASCP), bioMérieux Links:  The foundation for the microbiology laboratory's essential role in diagnostic stewardship: an ASM Laboratory Practices Subcommittee report  Approaches to developing and implementing a molecular diagnostics stewardship program for infectious diseases: an ASM Laboratory Practices Subcommittee report  Guiding antimicrobial stewardship through thoughtful antimicrobial susceptibility testing and reporting str

This is a special live recording of Editors in Conversation at the 2025 ASM Global Research Symposium in Bengaluru, India. We explore the evolving landscape of drug-resistant pathogens—from the intracellular survival strategies of Salmonella to the global rise of multidrug-resistant fungi like Candida auris. This conversation highlights the urgent need for integrated, One Health solutions to combat AMR across human, animal, and environmental domains. Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/G1KtS6MSjHs  Topics discussed: The implications of the OneHealth approach for microbiology and public health. The connection between planetary science, human activity and the rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Illustrate with specific examples the major challenges to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens in a country like India.  Guests: Anuradha Chowdhary, M.D., Ph.D. Professor, University of Delhi India, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute. Head of National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance in Fungal Path

I almost can't believe that we are wrapping up yet another year on the podcast this month, which has been going strong for 6 years now! And it has been another exciting year in the world of Clin Micro as well with improvements and new assays available for some of our bread and butter tests, but the year also brought about significant developments in the application of AI and digital imaging, use of NGS methods, and probably some cool AST stuff in there too among other things, with many of these advancements published in JCM. And so, as has become customary for the last 6 years, for this episode, we will be sharing some of our favorite papers or more intriguing manuscripts published in the Journal this year. And I have to say, this is probably one of the hardest episodes to prep for because picking just on paper to talk about is an incredible difficult task! But, we are up to the challenge and we'll share those with you over the next half hour or so, all the while wearing ridiculous holiday sweaters and/or hol

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) remain among the most devastating complications in orthopedic surgery, with increasing incidence paralleling the growth in arthroplasty procedures worldwide. While treatment protocols are well-established, evidence supporting current approaches is lacking, and outcomes remain suboptimal, highlighting the need for improved therapeutic strategies. AAC recently published a minireview of randomized controlled trials and emerging evidence for the management for these difficult to treat infection. Today, we discuss with one of the authors of the manuscript and an ID doctor specialized in PJI infections the findings of such paper. Topics discussed: Challenges of treating prosthetic joint infections. Major clinical trial data supporting different approaches for treatment and prevention of PJI Guidance for the approach to these complicated infections. Guests: David Paterson MBBS, Ph.D., Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Joint) Yong Loo Lin School of Public Health (J

It's that time of year, folks! No, not leaf-peeping season, or pumpkin spice season or even apple picking season – I'm talking respiratory virus season! The symphony of sniffles and coughs is just around the corner! It's the time of year that clinical laboratories are stocking up on supplies, developing testing algorithms and putting out communications to try to convince people that every kid with the sniffles does not, in fact, warrant a highly-multiplexed respiratory virus panel test. The diagnostic landscape for respiratory viruses has evolved dramatically in the last five years, with widespread institution of molecular tests both in laboratories of all sizes, but also at the point of care – and even consumer direct testing. What's next for respiratory virus testing?  Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/_tXqLyV3-QE

Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, has been around for what seems like forever, causing major outbreaks throughout the millennia and continuing to spread at high rates, globally, into today. When it comes to diagnostic testing, some tests like RPR and VDRL have stood the test of time, having been implemented in the late 1930s and 1940s, and are now used in combination with contemporary methods like EIAs and chemiluminescent assays as the reference standard method to diagnosis syphilis cases. New approaches to screening and diagnosis are needed, however, to increase test access and ultimately case identification and treatment.  Guests: Dr. Kevin Clark Dr. Jody Berry Links:  Clinical development and performance of the First to Know Syphilis Self-Test for over-the-counter usage: a de novo rapid test for treponemal antibody This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM).  V

The launch of ChatGPT three years ago brought the concept of artificial intelligence into the daily conversation. Today, it seems all industries, including lab medicine, are integrating AI with the promise of making our lives easier. How do we best navigate implementing this technology into clinical microbiology? How will it be regulated? … and, what is AI anyway? Watch this epsiode: https://youtu.be/2B_JJEFJv7I Guests: Dr. Susan Sharp Dr. Kendall Bryant Links:  Proceedings of the Clinical Microbiology Open 2024: artificial intelligence applications in clinical microbiology Diagnosis of Plasmodium infections using artificial intelligence techniques versus standard microscopy in a reference laboratory Development and evaluation of an artificial intelligence for bacterial growth monitoring in clinical bacteriology This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM).  Visit journals.asm.org/jour

The Journal of Clinical Microbiology has a great tradition of publishing mini-reviews on topics that are important to the clinical microbiology community. Minireviews provide “up to the minute” updates on topics pertinent to clinical microbiologists and serve as fabulous training tools for medical professionals, trainees, and researchers across all disciplines. Dr. Humphries and Dr. Ledeboer discuss what makes a great mini-review, and their favorite mini-reviews published in JCM. Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/sXOrfTkoDGM This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM). Editors in conversation is supported by the American Society for Microbiology, which publishes JCM. Become an ASM member to receive up to 50% off publishing fees when you publish in JCM or any of the ASM journals. Sign up at https://asm.org/joinasm. Visit https://journals.asm.org/journal/jcm to read articles and/or submit

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the largest threats to global public health, compromising all other advances in modern medicine. At the forefront of detecting AMR is the clinical laboratory.  However, walk into any clinical microbiology laboratory today and you will find this important task being accomplished using techniques that barely evolved from the methods proposed by Alexander Fleming, nearly 100 years ago.  Bacteria are exposed to antimicrobials, in an in vitro culture system, and growth inhibition is measured after overnight incubation. In the time of laboratory automation, molecular testing and artificial intelligence – are we ready for an antimicrobial susceptibility testing revolution? What are the technologies that might get us there? Guests: Dr. Daniel Rhodes Dr. Jacob Rattin Article Link: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.00674-25 This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Romney Humphries, P

Measles is becoming an important public health problem and it is important to recognize and understand the origins of this problem and how it can affect the population of our country. At the same time, it is critical to have updated and scientifically accurate information on the clinical presentations, risk factors and countermeasures. Today, we will discuss this topic with experts in field.  Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/oQDaa8J9v5w Topics:  • Define measles as an important public health threat  • Explain the origin of the epidemic  • Accurate information on countermeasures and strategies to tackle this outbreak. Guests:  - Hana Mohammed El Sahly, M.D.  Professor, Kyle and Josephine Morrow Chair, Department of Medicine, Molecular Virology and Microbiology; Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit (VTEU) Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX US. - Natasha B. Halasa M.D., M.P.H. Craig Weaver Professor of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University, Na

With Alex’s departure to new pastures, which include things like being the incoming President of ASM, we now have a new JCM Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Romney Humphries! Dr. Humphries is currently Director of the Division of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Director of the Microbiology Laboratory at Vanderbilt University, as well as a Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. She is an absolute powerhouse in the AST world as we all know, and as of this month, is the new Editor in Chief of JCM. In this episode, we find out Dr. Humphries’s vision and new ideas for the Journal and where she’d like to see JCM go over the next few years. Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/xkyUb6zE9X4 Guests: Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM), M(ASCP) This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Alex McAdam and Dr. Elli Theel. JCM is available at https://jcm.asm.org and on https://twitter.com/JClinMicro. Visit journals.asm.org/journal/j

A common description of antibiotic action aims to classify them between “bactericidal” or “bacteriostatic”. Although these phenomena have robust in vitro foundations, the clinical translation of these concepts is sometimes difficult to ascertain. This controversial topic has important conceptual ramifications to treat severe infections. Today, we will discuss this topic with an expert in field.  Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/3z4BItBrzbk Topics discussed: The definitions of “cidal” vs “static” antibiotics The clinical applicability of the above terms in terms of antibiotic choice and syndromatic approaches antibiotic choices and the controversy between bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics.  Guest: Brad Spellberg, MD.  Chief Medical Officer at the Los Angeles General Medical Center  Links: ASM and IDSA launch the Interdisciplinary Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance and Innovation (IMARI) in 2026 Watch this session on YouTube This episode is brought to you by the Antimicrobial Agen

Oversight and guidance for performing antibiotic susceptibility testing can be bewildering. There is an alphabet soup of agencies and bodies involved: FDA, CLSI, and USCAST, to name a few here in the US. How does the Food and Drug Administration, which has regulatory authority over AST, work with a nimble group like the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute?   Guests: Romney Humphries, Ph.D., D(ABMM), M(ASCP) Patricia Simner, Ph.D., D(ABMM) Links: Major updates to FDA-recognized Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute breakpoints are a win for the fight against antimicrobial resistance Join ASM for up to 50% off the publication fees when you publish in JCM or any of the ASM journals. Attend ASM Microbe This episode of Editors in Conversation is brought to you by the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and hosted by JCM Editor in Chief, Alex McAdam and Dr. Elli Theel. JCM is available at https://jcm.asm.org and on https://twitter.com/JClinMicro. Visit journals.asm.org/journal/jcm to read articles and/o

In the last decade, there have been major changes in the approach of the treatment of pneumonia, in particular, with the availability of new diagnostic tools. Additionally, new drugs have been approved for the treatment of pneumonia. We discuss the approach to the management of pneumonia with a person who has spent most of his professional career working on this topic. Topics discussed: Definitions and nomenclature of pneumonia and evolution of these terms Changes in the diagnosis of pneumonia Ttherapeutic changes and future approaches for the treatment of pneumonia. Guest: Daniel M Musher, M.D. Links: ASM and IDSA launch the Interdisciplinary Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance and Innovation (IMARI) in 2026 This episode is brought to you by the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Journal.  Visit asm.org/aac to browse issues and/or submit a manuscript. If you plan to publish in AAC, ASM Members get up to 50% off publishing fees. Visit asm.org/joinasm to sign up.

Picture this, you wake up one morning with nausea, body aches, abdominal pain, and despite sleeping all night, you are exhausted. You then find yourself running to the restroom with watery and somewhat explosive diarrhea. You think to yourself – what could this be? Well, if the year was 2023, in the summer and you happen to live in Texas, chances were somewhat high that you had probably had cyclosporiasis.  And today, we are going to talk about this particular parasite and focus in on what our options are for detecting it given that it is not routinely picked up on O&P exams. And while there are molecular panels out there that include Cyclospora as a target, as our speakers will share, there is an easier and cheaper approach we can consider to quickly ID this pathogen. Guests: Dr. Angela Ma. Public Health Ontario and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Dr. Marc Couturier. Drector of the clinical microbiology lab at NorDx lab at MaineHealth in Scarborough, Maine Links: Shedding new light on