CLN Daily
According to Dan Rhoads, MD, section director of clinical microbiology at Cleveland Clinic, “Artificial intelligence (AI) is like PCR in the early 2000s.” At that time, PCR was an exciting new technology with a limited number of applications. Fast forward two decades, and we cannot imagine a clinical laboratory without it. While neither PCR nor AI is the solution for every diagnostic challenge, both have the potential to become integral components of routine laboratory practice. On Monday afternoon, Rhoads and two other presenters will explore how the evolving AI landscape is being embraced by clinical microbiology in their session, “Petri dishes and pixels: Applying digital imaging solutions to contemporary clinical microbiology practice.”
Rhoads has always had a strong interest in cutting-edge clinical diagnostics, a perspective that shapes his enthusiasm for emerging AI tools. He is particularly interested in “new diagnostics that demonstrate high clinical value,” which he describes as innovations that “yield substantial benefit with minimal cost.” He believes that some of the use cases for AI fit this definition to a T.SPONSOR
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“More and more people now have access to AI tools,” said Rhoads — which makes this ADLM 2026 session relevant to professionals across all disciplines of laboratory medicine. Although the speakers will focus on a use case applicable to clinical microbiology, they intend to highlight principles and examples that can be translated to many other areas.
Thomas Durant, MD, a clinical chemist and informatician at Yale School of Medicine, will kick off the session. An expert in AI technologies and informatics, Durant will introduce the fundamentals of AI and machine learning, examine their potential roles within the clinical laboratory, and provide an overview of digital imaging technologies, which have emerged as one of the most promising applications of AI in clinical microbiology.
Building on this foundation, Anisha Misra, PhD, a clinical microbiologist at Cleveland Clinic, will share her experience implementing AI-driven imaging solutions in a clinical laboratory setting. Misra will discuss the unexpected challenges in change management she encountered as her lab moved from ideation to implementation on their journey toward digital pathology.
Rhoads will wrap up the session with a talk about using digital bacteriology to improve efficiency and quality — principles he believes will define the success or failure of new diagnostic approaches, including AI. Rhoads will offer a forward-looking view of how these image-based AI tools can be implemented to maximize their value to the laboratory.
Rhoads and his colleagues are eager to engage with a diverse audience. By capitalizing on the gathering of a wide array of perspectives at ADLM 2026, they hope to foster a rich conversation regarding the future of this exciting technology.
Do you believe AI is the next PCR? Join the session and let us know what you think!
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