Episode 15: Bioinformatics Unleashed - Decoding Microbial Mysteries

As a professor and principal investigator of a microbial forensics laboratory, Professor Crill is deeply engaged in advancing the frontiers of microbial attribution studies and genomics. Their primary interest lies in leveraging cutting-edge genomic sequencing technologies and bioinformatics tools to trace the origins of pathogenic microorganisms. Through their research, Professor Crill aims to develop robust methodologies for the identification and differentiation of microbial strains, facilitating accurate attribution in cases of bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks, and biosecurity threats. Their work not only contributes to the global understanding of microbial ecology and evolution but also plays a crucial role in enhancing public health responses and forensic investigations. Collaborating closely with interdisciplinary teams, Professor Crill strives to push the boundaries of microbial forensics, contributing to the development of innovative strategies for disease identification and attribution.

David Yarmosh is a lead bioinformatician in ATCC’s Sequencing and Bioinformatics Center. He’s a graduate of New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. He has been working in large data aggregation and analysis since 2013 and microbial genomics with a focus on biosurveillance R&D efforts since 2016. David has led international training exercises in Peru and Senegal, sharing metagenomic analytical capabilities. His interests include genomics database construction, metadata collection, drug resistance mechanisms, bioinformatics standards, and machine learning. Since joining ATCC in 2020, David has worked extensively in SARS-CoV-2 classification, epidemiology, and genomics evaluation, including enhanced and uniform variant reporting. He has contributed more broadly to genomics reporting and analytical standardization and he has helped develop the podcast Behind the Biology, which he now hosts.