Dr. Julie Ann Lough continues her conversation with Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, exploring Beckman Coulter's tools for monitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and future innovations in the field. Dr. Mitchell discusses how antimicrobial susceptibility testing data can be aggregated into antibiograms to track resistance trends, inform therapy decisions, identify issues in infection control procedures, and potentially halt outbreaks before they spread. Dr. Mitchell shares insights on emerging technologies, including host response diagnostics to guide antibiotic prescribing, whole-genome sequencing for tracking plasmid transmission, and novel antimicrobials like phage therapy. The conversation addresses barriers to collaboration, the challenge of global data inequality in resource-limited regions, and the need for both prevention and treatment solutions. Dr. Mitchell closes with an inspiring message: taking many small steps together in the right direction will create meaningful change in the long term. The episode reinforces that AMR is a global problem requiring coordinated action from every sector, and Beckman Coulter remains committed to this mission daily.

Going Macro on Micro is a podcast series supported by Beckman Coulter that explores emerging themes in microbiology. Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to stay up to date with each new episode as it's released.

Beckman Coulter, 2025-15004

Dr. Julie Ann Lough shifts focus inward to discuss Beckman Coulter's commitment to One Health and its tools for addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Joining her is Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, Head of Scientific Affairs at Beckman Coulter Microbiology, who brings a unique perspective from her background as a clinical laboratory director before she transitioned to the industry. Dr. Mitchell highlights the importance of microbial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing in clinical settings, detailing how these processes inform treatment decisions. They discuss emerging trends in AMR, including rising resistance patterns and factors driving AMR, such as inappropriate antibiotic dosing, empiric treatment practices, and antibiotic use in farm and companion animals. The discussion emphasises the need for diverse stakeholders from clinicians to the pharmaceutical industry to collaborate, reassess treatment regimens, and develop effective diagnostic tools to inform treatment options.

Going Macro on Micro is a podcast series supported by Beckman Coulter that explores emerging themes in microbiology. Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to stay up to date with each new episode as it's released.

Beckman Coulter, 2025-15004

In this episode of "Going Macro on Micro," host Dr. Julie Ann Lough continues her conversation with Dr. Andrew Lee from Queen's University Belfast, diving deeper into the details of environmental sampling as a tool for epidemiology. Dr. Lee explains the unique challenges of air sampling compared to water sampling and shares findings from his work, including the detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in both air and wastewater, which acted as an early warning of outbreaks in nursing homes. The discussion explores the limitations and advantages of wastewater surveillance, emphasising that it's complementary to, not competitive with traditional epidemiological methods. Dr. Lee reveals surprising discoveries, including detecting low-path avian influenza in urban wastewater, demonstrating how environmental monitoring captures both human and animal health.

Going Macro on Micro is a podcast series supported by Beckman Coulter that explores emerging themes in microbiology. Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to stay up to date with each new episode as it's released.

Beckman Coulter, 2025-15004