Today, Dr. Jo Handelsman of the University of Wisconsin Madison and Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the work she and her research collaborators do on interactive microbial communities, using THOR (the hitchhikers of the rhizosphere) as a model system.  She will also remind us how vital soil is to our lives. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Jo Handlesman Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for...

Today, Dr. Geo Santiago-Martinez, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology and Microbiology at the University of Connecticut joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the mysteries of the archaeal world, and how one group of these organisms produce methane gas as a byproduct of metabolism.  These methanogens are thus involved in climate, symbioses, biotechnology, and even astrobiology! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Geo Santiago-Martinez Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become...

Today, Dr. Rachel Dutton, Science Resident at the Astera Institute in Berkeley, California, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the complex (and tasty) microbial communities responsible for cheese as a model system for microbial interactions, as well as her interesting path through science. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Rachel Dutton Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode An introduction to the idea of sociomicrobiology. A more...

Today, Sarah Bordenstein, Associate Research Professor of Biology & Entomology at Penn State University and Director of Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project joins the  #QualityQuorum to tell us about the most successful pandemic on the planet, the fascinating endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia, and how she has used this fascinating system to teach young people about molecular biology, bioinformatics, and evolution. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Sarah Bordenstein ...

Today, Dr. Jeri Barak of the University of Wisconsin Madison joins the #QualityQuorum to chat about how various microbes (some of which can cause disease in humans) can gain access to  plants, sometimes via group behavior.  With media coverage of Salmonella contamination in lettuce, Dr. Barak’s work is especially timely!  She will also discuss what it is like to be a plant pathologist! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Jeri Barak Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters...

Today, Dr. Vincent Young of the University of Michigan Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease Division in Ann Arbor, joins the #QualityQuorum to chat about the ecology of the human gut as it relates to a serious bacterial disease caused by Clostridiodes difficile.  He will also discuss what it is like to be a medical scientist with both MD and PhD degrees. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Vincent Young Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! ...

Today, Dr. Ana Maria Porras of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida, joins the #QualityQuorum to chat about her work studying gut microbes and the gut, IBDs, representation, and even how fiber arts can inspire microbial wonder! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Ana Maria Porras Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The announcement of Dr. Porras’ prestigious CAREER grant from the National Science...

Today, Dr. Paula Welander, Associate Professor of Environmental Earth System Science at Stanford University (and #DocMartian #4) joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the work she and her colleagues are doing probing at early life by studying lipid biosignatures that can appear in the fossil record—and the role that cholesterol and related molecules have on microbial life. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Paula Welander Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! ...

Today, Dr. Manu Ramalho of West Chester University in Pennsylvania joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the wonderful world of ants, their microbiomes, and what their intersection can teach us about our place in the natural world. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Manu Ramalho Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode I wear some microbial themed ties made by Michele Banks of Artologica.  Both Michele and Vexed Muddler understand...

Today, Dr. Brian Stevenson of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss a twisty twirling form of life, spirochetes, ticks, and human diseases like Lyme Disease. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Brian Stevenson Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The Latin Translator I have used (because if I am getting it tattoo’ed, I want it to be correct). The custom enamel pins of Hartiful....

Today, Dr. Jennifer Biddle of the School of Marine Science and Policy at the University of Delaware joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss deep microbial life in marine environments (and why you should care about it), as well as her fascination with archaea! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Jennifer Biddle Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The Tiny Earth program website, originated by Dr. Jo Handelsman. A review of the marine...

Today, Dr. Hazel Barton, Loper Endowed Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama,  joins the #QualityQuorum to tell us about her explorations of cave microbiology and the relationship between microbiology and geology! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Hazel Barton Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode An introduction of the fascinating field of geomicrobiology. An recent introduction to cave microbiology. An...

Today, Dr. Franny Gilman, Principal Scientist at the Kraft-Heinz Company (and another #DocMartian who worked in my undergraduate research lab),  joins the #QualityQuorum to tell us about the path that took her from studying the cloacal microbiome of lizards to Greenland and eventually to food science! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Franny Gilman Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The paper that first caught Dr. Gilman’s eye when...

Today, Dr. Sue Ishaq of the University of Maine joins the #QualityQuorum to tell us about the relationship between what we eat and our microbes, as well as making microbiology more inclusive to everyone. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Sue Ishaq Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode An explanation of Charles Darwin’s quotation about having a bad day.  The laboratory website of Dr. Michael Baym, who sent me that quotation as a metal...

Today, Dr. Cameron Thrash of the University of Southern California will discuss marine microbiology, an extremely…ubiquitous…microbe (with a name every #Micronaut should know!), conducting research at sea, and his path in science. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Cameron Thrash Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode Here is an essay describing the Great Plating Anomaly and a criticism of that approach. A wonderful video (scan forward...

Today, Dr. Danielle Campbell (and former #DocMartian!), a postdoctoral scholar of the Baldridge group at Washington University in St. Louis, will share her research into the relationship between bacteriophage and the gut microbiome…as well as chat about her path in science. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Danielle Campbell Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode Here is a link to a wonderful review article by Dr. Campbell describing...

Today, Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Julia van Kessel of Indiana University will chat with us about how groups of bacteria can sense one another and carry out behavior as a collective…including some kinds of disease! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Julia van Kessel Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode An introduction to the horrific disease leprosy, caused by the quite strange organism Mycobacterium leprae. An overview of the...

Today, the impressive Dr. Arturo Casadevall of Johns Hopkins University will joint #MattersMicrobial to discuss his path in science, how fungi need more study, that some fungi are literally cool, and others a looming threat.  Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Arturo Casadevall Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode A wonderful remembrance (by multiple authors) of Lynn Margulis, and essays by Elio Schaechter (a friend of Margulis’)...

Today my former undergraduate student Lauren Augusta, currently in a PhD program in Microbiology at the University of Indiana, joins the podcast to chat about how she chose her career path in the microbial sciences, and her future path. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Lauren Augusta Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The program for creating the maze on this session’s thumbnail image is here. Here is the website for Micropia, the...

Today Dr. Christina Kellogg of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg Florida chats with the podcast about her many diverse adventures in marine microbial ecology! It’s quite a high energy microbial journey! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Chris Kellogg Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The recycled metal artwork of Brian Mock has a website here. Interested in how bacterial respiration can...

Today Dr. Suzanne Devkota of the Cedars-Sinai Division of Gastronterology and Director of the Cedars Sinai Human Microbiome Research Institute will tell us about the role that our diet plays in the gut microbiome, and how that can impact health.  So it really is true:  you ARE what you(r microbes) eat! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Suzanne Devkota Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode An overview for beginning micronauts on diet...

Today Dr. Steffanie Strathdee, Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences at UC San Diego and Co-Director at the Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics, will chat with us about how bacteriophages—viruses that attack bacteria—changed her life and are becoming part of our future. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Steffanie Strathdee Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode A fun video about bacteriophages. A pretty...

Today Dr. Vaughn Cooper, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, will chat with us about how he and his team teach high school students and undergraduates about evolution occurring in real time—using bacteria. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Vaughn Cooper Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The Erg Chech 002 meteorite story, which is fascinating. The “World Without...