Meet the Microbiologist

Andrea Prinzi, Ph.D., MPH, SM(ASCP), and Rodney Rohde, Ph.D.,SM(ASCP)CM, SVCM, trace how passion‑driven, nonlinear paths in clinical microbiology led them from hospital benches and public health labs to academia and industry leadership. Their stories converge on a shared mission: to use diagnostics, outcomes research and lived experience to make microbiology relevant, contextual and approachable for patients, policymakers and the broader public.
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View Rohde's ASM articles.
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Moon Nahm, M.D., professor emeritus at UAB Department of Medicine and Director of the World Health Organization's Pneumococcal Serology Reference Laboratory at UAB, discusses his career in pneumococcal immunology. From uncovering the WU2 reference strain and other hidden serotypes to pioneering Multiplexed Opsono-Phagocytosis Assay (MOPA) to measure the functional activity of anti-pneumococcal antibodies, Nahm's contributions have facilitated development of advanced vaccines with broader protection and accessibility.
Links for This Episode
UAB Spotlight on Moon Nahm.
Discovery and Characterization of Pneumococcal Serogroup 36 Capsule Subtypes, Serotypes 36A and 36B. Journal of Clinical Microbiology paper, March 27, 2003.
A New Pneumococcal Capsule Type, 10D, is the 100th Serotype and Has a Large cpsFragment from an Oral Streptococcus. mBio, May 19, 2020.
50 years—and change. WashU Magazine.
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From leading R&D at a biotech startup company to conducting environmental monitoring for NASA, Veronica Garcia, Ph.D., Scientific Director of the ASM Applied and Environmental Microbiology unit shares how experiences throughout her career have informed her appreciation for microbes and their real-world applications. She also discusses how the ASM AEM unit will support scientists around the globe by fostering collaboration and advocating for scientific advancements in areas like climate change, water systems and food production.
Ashley's Biggest Takeaways
Prior to her role as Scientific Director for ASM Applied and Environmental Microbiology unit, Garcia was Senior Director of R&D at Boost Biomes, a biotech startup focused on bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers.
Garcia's passion for microbiology began studying soil remediation at Texas A&M University.
Seeing microbes under the microscope for the first time felt like discovering "another world," sparking a lifelong fascination with what microbes are and can do.
Driven by a desire to see her science make an immediate impact, Garcia was drawn to industry after completing her Ph.D.
At Boost Biomes, a biotech startup company, Veronica helped transform diverse microbial isolates into bio-pesticides, bio-fertilizers and bio-stimulants for agriculture and food. She progressed from bench scientist to senior Director of R&D, overseeing discovery, genomics, bioinformatics and product development, and learned the realities of scale-up, cost, regulation and end-user needs.
She also monitored air, water and surfaces for the shuttle and ISS and NASA, ensuring astronaut safety by tracking microbial loads and potential pathogens.
ASM is organizing around 3 scientific units, ASM Applied and Environmental Microbiology (AEM), ASM Health and ASM Mechanism Discovery.
These units will equip researchers to translate discovery into impact while providing a forum to collectively shape the future of the field.
The AEM unit provides the space and unique expertise for microbial scientists and partners to directly contribute to a healthier, more sustainable world through applied and environmental innovation and brings together experts whose work connects microbial processes to outcomes in ecosystems, infrastructure, food systems and planetary health.
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Marlene Belfort, Ph.D., a distinguished professor at the University at Albany and author of Mommy, Can Boys Also Be Doctors?, discusses her journey in science, balancing personal and professional life, the importance of fundamental research and the discovery of introns in bacteriophage.
Links for This Episode
Mommy, Can Boys Also Be Doctors?: A Message to Young Scientists and Other Humans.

Episode Summary
Sue Ishaq, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiomes at the University of Maine, discusses how gut microbes transform seemingly inert plant compounds—like glucosinolates found in broccoli—into powerful anti-inflammatory agents such as sulforaphane. Her research dives into the fascinating interplay between diet, cooking methods and the diversity of the gut microbiota, revealing how these factors influence the body's ability to produce health-promoting molecules. Links for This Episode
mSystems paper: Early life exposure to broccoli sprouts confers stronger protection against enterocolitis development in an immunological mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease.
mSystems paper:  Steamed broccoli sprouts alleviate DSS-induced inflammation and retain gut microbial biogeography in mice.
Current Developments in Nutrition paper: Current knowledge on the preparation and benefits of cruciferous vegetables as relates to in vitro, in vivo, and clinical models of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.