Let's Talk Micro

Hantaviruses have recently been in the headlines, but what exactly are they and how do they spread? In Part 1 of this hantavirus series, Luis is joined by Dr. Ryan Relich and Dr. Stephanie Seifert for a deep dive into the world of hantaviruses.
The conversation explores the basics of hantaviruses, including their ecology, rodent reservoirs, transmission, and the diseases they cause in humans. The guests also discuss Old World vs New World hantaviruses, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), environmental risk factors, climate influences, and why these infections may be underdiagnosed.
From deer mice and spillover events to aerosol transmission and public health concerns, this episode breaks down the science behind these important zoonotic viruses in a practical and approachable way.
Stay tuned next week for an episode where our guests talk about the Andes virus.
 
Stay updated: https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/situation-summary/index.html
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Workforce shortages continue to impact clinical laboratories across the country, especially in rural healthcare settings. In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Luis is joined by Kenzi Haigler to discuss an innovative high school laboratory program designed to introduce students to laboratory medicine early and help strengthen the future workforce pipeline.
Kenzi shares her journey into the laboratory profession, her experiences working in rural healthcare, and the unique challenges small hospitals face when it comes to staffing, training, and retaining laboratory professionals. She also explains how her community came together to create a hands-on clinical laboratory assistant program that gives students exposure to phlebotomy, microscopy, waived testing, and laboratory workflows before graduation.
This conversation highlights the importance of mentorship, early exposure to laboratory medicine, and creative approaches to workforce development in clinical laboratory science.
Follow Kenzi on TikTok:  @lablifewithmrsh
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In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we close out our gram-negative cocci series by talking about the "background singers" of the group—the organisms that quietly show up on respiratory cultures and oral flora plates every day.
We explore the world of non-pathogenic Neisseria species, along with rod-shaped and coccobacillary Neisseria and Moraxella that break the classic gram-negative diplococci rule. From commensals and opportunistic pathogens to their role in respiratory cultures and bench identification, this episode focuses on how to think through these isolates in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
As always, we tie it back to the bench—because sometimes the organisms sitting quietly in the background still matter.
 
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This week, Let's Talk Micro is pausing the Gram-negative cocci series to talk about one of the biggest microbiology meetings of the year: ASM Microbe 2026. Luis is joined by Dr. Bobbi Pritt and Dr. Robert Tibbetts to discuss what attendees can expect from this year's meeting in Washington, DC.
The conversation covers the new meeting structure, important trends in clinical microbiology, sessions and workshops geared toward medical laboratory scientists, networking opportunities, and tips for getting the most out of the conference experience. They also discuss hot topics such as AI-driven diagnostics, whole genome sequencing, metagenomics, phage therapy, antimicrobial resistance, and the future direction of clinical microbiology.
Whether you are attending ASM Microbe for the first time or returning as a seasoned attendee, this episode offers a practical preview of what's ahead and highlights opportunities especially relevant to the clinical microbiology laboratory community.
Topics discussed:
Changes to ASM Microbe 2026

Sessions and workshops for MLS professionals

AI and digital diagnostics

Whole genome sequencing and metagenomics

Antimicrobial resistance and AST

Phage therapy and microbiome-focused sessions

Networking and professional development

Tips for first-time attendees

ASM Resources
ASM Microbe 2026 information and registration: https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowASM261

Volunteer opportunities with ASM: https://asm.org/about-asm/volunteer-with-asm/volunteer-with-asm

MLS/MLT workshop information and registration: https://www.pathlms.com/asm/courses/185029

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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 adults—especially in COPD—and how to interpret its presence in respiratory cultures.
As always, we tie it back to the bench, discussing identification clues, culture considerations, and what it means when you see this organism on your plate.
Stay connected with Let's Talk Micro:
Website: letstalkmicro.com

Questions or feedback? Email me at [email protected]

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