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It’s time to “stirrup” a new ! A 20-year-old female with a lower back rash (circular lesions) & burning pain for 1 week after being stepped on by a horse. Routine aerobic cultures surprisingly yielded the pathogen…

What’s your diagnosis? Comment your guess below.
https://asm.social/36r

Get the answer on Tues., Sept. 29, when you visit ASM’s Case Study Page.

Can E. coli grow if it doesn't have ATPase? What's the link between calcium and P. aeruginosa adherence to host cells? 🧐

Find out in this week's ASM Journal Highlights, our weekly feature of some of the latest articles published in ASM Journals! ✨

🧬Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) enables agnostic detection of microbes from clinical specimens. A review in offers insights to support risk-appropriate, scalable oversight, & accelerate adoption of mNGS in clinical microbiology. https://asm.social/36o

🦠An E. coli strain lacking an ATPase can nonetheless grow on a non-fermentable carbon source, indicating that this mutant has an unknown mechanism for synthesizing ATP from the oxidation of succinate. Learn more in : https://asm.social/36m

🫁Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes lethal infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Calcium promotes the bacterium's adherence to airway epithelial cells, which may promote the initiation of the pathogen’s infections in CF airways. : https://asm.social/36k

🥼The traditional landscape of dermatophyte infections has changed over the past decade. In : an overview of currently recognized dermatophyte species, complexes and genera, including their phylogenetic, ecological and biochemical relatedness. https://asm.social/36l

🔬Fruiting body formation is traditionally regarded as a defining trait of myxobacteria. Research in shows that Aggregicoccus spp. can sporulate but are deficient in the fruiting body-associated genomic information. https://asm.social/36n

For more new research, visit https://asm.social/36j

Join us for "Co-Designing Course AI Policies with Students Trainees," a FREE ASM virtual webinar for educators in the microbial sciences.

You’ll learn how to:

• Elicit student concerns about AI in learning.
• Apply human effort principles to protect critical thinking.
• Develop flexible, transparent AI course policies.
• Revise policies with student feedback and evolving technology.

📅 Sept. 30 | ⏰ 1–2 p.m. ET
💻 Virtual

Register here: https://asm.social/36h

Watch ASM’s new video on how laboratory directors adapted to the Cyclospora outbreak through real-time diagnostic stewardship!

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a protozoan parasite and can be difficult to diagnose due to overlapping symptoms with other GI pathogens. A national outbreak, such as the recent U.S. outbreak, can change the clinical testing needs. In this video, clinical microbiology laboratory directors share their hospital systems’ approaches to meeting testing needs during the outbreak. These real-life examples highlight that stewardship is not straightforward, and there is no single “best solution”.

https://asm.social/36e

Cyclospora Chaos and Real-Time Diagnostic Stewardship Clinical microbiology directors share how their hospital systems met testing needs during the cyclospora outbreak.

Scientists generally don’t need quantum mechanics to predict and understand how life works.

Or do they? Are there biological processes whose behavior we cannot fully explain without quantum effects? Research in bacteria suggests the answer might be yes.

Read the article:

Exploring the Emerging Field of Quantum Microbiology Can microbes exploit quantum phenomena? From photosynthesis to bacterial nanowires, scientists are investigating how quantum effects may shape microbial life. 

Last chance to register! Join ASM and CDC tomorrow, Sept. 24 at 12 p.m. ET to examine the partnership between clinical and public health laboratories during outbreak response, from surveillance and epidemiologic investigations to diagnostic testing and patient care. We will use the 2026 Cyclospora outbreak to discuss testing guidance, resource development, data sharing and strategies for rapidly scaling laboratory operations to meet unprecedented demand.

Register for free: https://asm.social/367

ASM-CDC Cyclospora Webinar The session will also discuss emerging diagnostic technologies, diagnostic stewardship considerations and lessons learned that can help laboratories prepare for and respond to future outbreaks.

For decades, NASA-supported scientists have been collecting strange and wonderful microbial isolates from a wide variety of space-related research projects. While they were once stored away in the various freezers of many individual investigators and institutions, NASA’s Ames Research Center is now building a repository to curate those isolates and make them accessible to the scientific community.

The Space Microbial Culture Collection (SMCC) includes a wide variety of organisms, including some found in Earth environments that are considered analogues to Mars or other planets; extremophiles discovered in the cleanrooms where spacecraft are assembled; and strains actually from space (the International Space Station).

Jessica Audrey Lee, Ph.D, tells the stories of some of the unique members of this collection.

NASA's Space Microbial Culture Collection For decades, NASA-supported scientists have been collecting strange...

Last chance to apply for the spring semester!

Looking to launch or advance your career in medical microbiology? The ASM-Weber State University Microbiology Certificate Program is your key to entering the medical microbiology profession. This 12-credit program, with in-lab training, prepares you for a career in the profession at your own pace. Apply by Oct. 1!
https://asm.social/361

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) often are easily treated when diagnosed, but many people don’t realize they’re infected. These undiagnosed infections may have serious, life-long consequences. https://asm.social/360

The Dangers of Undiagnosed Sexually Transmitted Infections Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) often are easily treated when diagnosed, but many people don’t realize they’re infected. These undiagnosed infections may have serious, life-long consequences.

Join us in New Orleans for Clin Micro Open 2027! Feb. 3-5, 2027, laboratory and industry leaders will come together to discuss current and potential issues affecting the future of clinical and public health microbiology. The theme for CMO 2027 is "Redefining the Where and How of Infectious Disease Diagnostic Testing." Visit the CMO website to learn more about the meeting topic and eligibility requirements.

Apply by Sept. 28: https://asm.social/35X

Clin Micro Open The Clin Micro Open (CMO) is an annual meeting that brings together laboratory and industry leaders to discuss current and potential issues affecting the future of diagnostic clinical microbiology.