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...

Today Dr. Nichole Broderick, Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Johns Hopkins University, will chat with us about how the study of the fruit fly microbiome can give us insights into human health and disease. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest Nichole Broderick Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The artist “Chocolate Menagerie”’s Etsy site. Another nice introductory video about the microbiome for new micronauts....

Today Dr. Sean Gibbons, Associate Professor at the Institute for Systems Biology, will chat with us about how the study of host-associated microbial communities can give us insights into evolution, ecology, and even human health. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Dr. Sean Gibbons Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode A wonderful overview of ammonites, extinct so long ago. A short biography of the late great Abigail Salyers, and...

Today Dr. Jack Gilbert, Professor of Pediatrics and of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, chats with us about his MANY interests in microbiology, from human health to marine environments. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Jack Gilbert Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode Marley and Murtle’s Etsy shop, which created my glow in the dark needle felted tardigrade. My wife Dr. Jennifer Quinn’s Wikipedia page and blog. Ethan Kocak’s...

Today Dr. Arash Komeili, professor of plant and microbial biology at UC Berkeley, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss compartmentalization in bacteria, and the amazing world of living magnets—the magnetotactic bacteria! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Arash Komeili Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode “Hooked by Bex”’s Etsy page. An introduction to Paenibacillus. More wonderful information on this fascinating bacterium. Another...

Today Dr. Ruth Isenberg, postdoctoral scholar (and former #DocMartian!) in the Willett Lab at the University of Minnesota, will tell us about her first generation path in science, the squid-Vibrio symbiosis work she did for her PhD, and her current career path. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Ruth Isenberg Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The Sikhote-Alin meteorite fall. An article on Kenyan Sand Boas. An article on African...

Today Dr. Ken Stedman, Professor of Biology at Portland State University, tells us about the strange and wonderful viruses of heat loving extremophilic archaea—truly viruses from Hell! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Ken Stedman Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode A popular article about Markus Martin’s work as a fossil expert extraordinaire. Markus Martin’s website.   One of Markus Martin’s academic articles on trilobites. An...

Today Dr. David Baltrus, Associate Professor of Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona, talks with us about how his laboratory studies bacteria that battle one another; the first rule of this fight club is that EVERYONE talks about Microbial Fight Club. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: David Baltrus Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode Here is a wonderful and easy to read essay about bacterial predators, including Bdellovibrio,...

Today Sebastian Cocioba, a citizen scientist with myriad interests, talks with us about his path in science, some of the tools he has made for others, and how he views science and scientists.  Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Sebastian Cocioba Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The article on Carl Woese that I wrote can be found here. An article on the felt sculpture of Carl Woese is here. The artist who created that sculpture,...

Microbes are everywhere and do remarkable things—-like breathing metal! Lauren Seyler joins us today to discuss the microbial mysteries of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Lauren Seyler Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode A beautiful essay on tardigrades can be found here. Weird and wonderful (mythical?) cryptids around the US described here.  Hallowe’en fun! Frivolous Forest’s site on Etsy is here.   A...

We exist in a sea of microbes, it is true. We only need to look. And Dr. Elinne Becket of California State University  San Marcos, joins Mark to describe some of the work she and her undergraduate colleagues are doing. And a popular hashtag on social media: #BlueSoup.  Welcome to our quality quorum, Elinne! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Elinne Becket Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode An essay on gooseneck flasks, Louis...

It is true that microbes are everywhere, and have impacts and applications that are often unexpected. Today, a true microbial force of nature visits Matters Microbial: Dr. Irene Newton of the Biology Department of the University of Indiana. Irene will tell us about some of her laboratory group’s recent research on how microbes interact with honeybees! Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Irene Newton Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode ...

It’s interesting to think about the microbes in and on us—some of which are vital to our well being—and how we came to possess them. Mark introduces Dr. Anne Estes of Towson University, who will discuss this very topic as it applies to dung beetles. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Anne Estes Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode Microbial fossils—stromatolites—are fascinating.  A description of Gunflint stromatolites can be found ...

Everyone thinks microbes are very small, and most of them are. But how to see them? The microscope opened a whole new world to the observer, starting with the Dutch microbiologist Antonie van Leeuvenhoek. But photographs and peering through lenses have limitations. Mark introduces his friend and colleague, Ariane Briegel of the Institute of Biology at Leiden University to Matters Microbial. She discusses how her own work can allow us to see microbes at extremely fine detail using a technique...

Who are you? Human or a group of microbes? Mark discusses this with this with Dr. Seth Bordenstein of Penn State. Seth teaches Mark about a new word, holobiont, and the most successful pandemic in history (of invertebrates) that may help in the fight against malaria, Wolbachia! Finally, Seth discusses his team outreach efforts to teach critical thinking and STEM in students with Discover the Microbes Within. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Seth Bordenstein Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify ...

Mark discusses some “shock and awe” concepts about the microbial world that he introduces to his microbiology students, and asks three important questions about microbiology and microbiologists with guest Dr. Mya Breitbart of the University of South Florida. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Mya Breitbart Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Ice nucleation information A video of ice nucleation A funny...

In the first episode of Matters Microbial, Mark introduces himself and his history, talks a bit about his goals for this podcast, then asks three important questions about microbiology and microbiologists with his first guest, Vincent Racaniello. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Vincent Racaniello Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Virology blog MicrobeTV on YouTube Intro music is by Reber Clark Send your questions and comments to...