Let's Talk Micro
Episodes
Episode 39: Talking disk diffusion performed on early growth
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features an interview with Dr. Carey-Ann Burnham, Dr. Daniel Webber and Meghan Wallace from Washington University in St. Louis. They are ...
Episode 38: Staphylococcus singaporensis
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In January there was an episode about Staphylococcus argenteus, a member of the S. aureus complex. This episode features an interview about a new memb...
Episode 37: GBS testing
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is Todd Hewitt broth? Is it the same as LIM broth? What's in it? In this episode I go over Todd Hewitt Broth, and two PCR tests used for the dete...
Episode 36: Streptococcus agalactiae
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I continue going over species of Streptococcus. This week's episode is about Streptococcus agalactiae. What is the Lancefield group of...
Episode 35: Talking Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wohlfahrtiimonas what? Have you heard about this organism? It is a gram negative rod and it is very unusual. In this episode Dr. Paul Luethy from the ...
Episode 34: Group A Strep Testing
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I go over three tests used for the detection of S. pyogenes: two antigen based and one PCR. What are the advantages and disadvantages ...
Episode 33: Streptococcus pyogenes
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After going over Staph and other gram positive cocci (gpc) in clusters, now is the turn for gram positive cocci in chains. This week's episode is abou...
Episode 32: Talking Lab with Xander and Maria
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode goes beyond Microbiology. It is about Medical Laboratory Sciences. In the episode I talk to Xander Fernandes and Maria Roussakis, two Med...
Episode 31: CNS, Micrococcus and Aerococcus
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode I continue going over Coagulase negative Staph. I also go over other gram positive cocci in clusters such as Micrococcus and Ae...
Episode 30: Coagulase Negative Staph
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I go over Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus or CNS. Are they pathogenic or normal flora? Do we identify them or is a presumptive ident...
Episode 29: Talking Staphylococcus argenteus
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features an interview with Dr. Robin Patel and Dr. Audrey Schuetz to discuss an article titled "Phenotypic and Genomic Profiling of Staph...
Episode 28: Chromogenic agar for MRSA and more
17 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This the last episode of 2021. What is chromogenic agar? In this episode I go over chromogenic agar used to detect MRSA. I also talk about Mannitol sa...
Episode 27: Staphylococcus aureus, biochemicals and MRSA
10 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode I go over how to identify Staphylococcus aureus from a standard set of agar plates. I also go over a test used to determine if this or...
Episode 26: Staphylococcus aureus
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I talk about Staphylococcus aureus. This is one of the most common organisms seen in Clinical Microbiology and a very serious one. Tun...
Episode 25: MALDI-TOF (part 2)
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is part two of a two-part episode. What are the limitations of the Vitek MS? In this episode I go over the limitations of the Vitek MS re...
Episode 24: MALDI-TOF (part 1)
19 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is MALDI-TOF? How is it used in Clinical Microbiology?. This is the first part of a two part episode where I discuss MALDI-TOF, and its applicati...
Episode 23: Pasteurella, why is it my favorite?
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Instagram follower suggestion: After mentioning on a post that Pasteurella was my favorite, a follower suggested for me to make an episode about it. I...
Episode 22: Anaerobic agar
22 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I continue going over anaerobic bacteria. Is blood agar sufficient to recover anaerobes? Listen to this episode to learn about differe...
Episode 21: Anaerobes: Sources and incubation
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I continue going over anaerobes. Are all sources acceptable for anaerobic cultures? How do you achieve the anaerobic environment these...
Episode 20: An introduction to anaerobes
01 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is anaerobic bacteria? What is a facultative anaerobe? In this episode I introduce anaerobic bacteria and its relationship to oxygen and growth. ...
Episode 19: Thioglycolate broth
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Following up Dania's interview, in this episode I go over thioglycolate broth. What is it used for? Is it helpful in cultures? Listen to find out.
Episode 18: Talking Micro with Dania Casellas
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode features Let's Talk Micro's second interview. Dania Casellas is a microbiologist that performs testing on donor organs.
Episode 17: Gram negative cocci
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I continue going over tests and biochemicals for gram negative cocci. In addition I briefly go over different species of gram negative...
Episode 16: Catarrhalis disk
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I start going over tests and biochemicals for gram negative cocci. First up, the catarrhalis disk, used for the identification of Mora...
Episode 15: Urease test
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the urease test? What is the principle of it? Is it only used for gram negative rods? In this episode I go over the urea test, including its p...
Episode 14: Lysine Iron Agar
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the lysine iron agar test? What is it used for? In this episode I go over this test including reactions and comparing and contrasting it with ...
Episode 13: Triple Sugar Iron
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is TSI? Which organisms is it used for? In this episode I go over the Triple Sugar Iron test, including its components, how does it work and exam...
Episode 12: Hektoen, XLD and more
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I go over media that Karla Zamora mentioned in her interview such as Hektoen, XLD and Palcam. I discuss components of the agar, coloni...
Episode 11: A conversation with Karla Zamora
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Let's Talk Micro's first interview features a conversation with Karla Zamora, an environmental microbiologist from Mexico. In this episode she talks a...
Episode 10: Oxidase
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I continue going over biochemicals for gram negative rods: oxidase. I also briefly discuss some species of gram negative rods and thei...
Episode 9: Indole
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we kick off biochemicals for Gram-negative rods with the indole test. After wrapping up the Gram-positive cocci l...
Optochin and Microdase disk
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we continue exploring the tools that aid in the identification of gram-positive cocci. Tune in as we discuss the ...
Episode 7: PYR and Strep Typing
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the PYR test? What is strep typing? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, I explain how these tests are used to identify Gram-positive cocci in...
Episode 6: Biochemicals- Catalase and Coagulase
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are biochemical tests—and how do they help identify bacteria? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, I dive into two of the most commonly used bi...
Episode 5: 40x Objective- What do we use it for?
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What do we use the 40x objective for? How does it compare to the 10x and 100x objectives? In this episode, I break down the differences between these ...
Episode 4: Blood Culture Gram Stains
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly are blood cultures—and why do they matter? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we dive into the critical role of blood culture Gram st...
Episode 3: Gram Stain morphology and reporting
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What do we actually look for when reading a Gram stain? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, I break down the key morphologies and cellular arrangeme...
Episode 2- Gram stains
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is a Gram stain and how is it done? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, I cover the basics of the Gram stain technique—from sample requirement...
Episode 1: Media
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is agar, and why is it essential in microbiology? In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, we explore the different types of agar used in the...
An introduction
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is a Medical Laboratory Scientist—and what exactly is microbiology? In this kickoff episode of Let's Talk Micro, I introduce the podcast, shar...