Genomics-based technologies have revolutionized science. From microarrays to next-generation sequencing, genomics technologies are having a tremendous positive impact on all aspects of human health.

Dr. Joe DeRisi is a professor at the University of California San Francisco and co-president of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. DeRisi has been at the forefront of developing and using genomics-based technologies to address infectious disease challenges.

DeRisi talks about how genomics helped solve the mystery of dying leopard sharks in San Francisco bay, how a “virochip” array helped identify the SARS virus, how genomics can help identify unknown causes of encephalitis, how the sewer may hold the key to predicting infectious disease outbreaks, how computational capabilities represent the current bottleneck to global benefit from genomics technologies, and how the early mysteries surrounding the AIDS epidemic led him into science.

microTalk was thrilled to be joined by Julie Wolf, “Meet the Microbiologist” podcast host from ASM, when this podcast was recorded at the ASM Microbe 2019 conference in San Francisco, CA.

The microCase for listeners to solve is about Tess Tamoni, a retired teacher who gets a nasty infection while on vacation at a tropical resort.

Participants:
Karl Klose, Ph.D. (UTSA)
Joe DeRisi, Ph.D. (University of California San Francisco)
Janakiram Seshu, Ph.D. (UTSA)
Mylea Echazarreta (UTSA)
Julie Wolf (ASM)