Meet the Microbiologist
160 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsWho is microbiology? Meet the Microbiologist (MTM) introduces you to the people who discover, innovate and advance the field of microbiology.
Go behind-the-scenes of the microbial sciences with experts in virology, bacteriology, mycology, parasitology and more! Share in their passion for microbes and hear about research successes and even a few setbacks in their field.
MTM covers everything from genomics, antibiotic resistance, synthetic biology, emerging infectious diseases, microbial ecology, public health, social equity, host-microbe biology, drug discovery, artificial intelligence, the microbiome and more!
From graduate students to working clinicians and emeritus professors, host, Ashley Hagen, Scientific and Digital Editor at the American Society for Microbiology, highlights professionals in all stages of their careers, gleaning wisdom, career advice and even a bit of mentorship along the way.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Increasing Laboratory Capacity for TB Diagnosis With Aureliana Chambal
March 09, 2024 03:53 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBASM's Young Ambassador, Aureliana Chambal, discusses the high incidence of tuberculosis in Mozambique and how improved surveillance can help block disease transmission in low resource settings. Ashley's Biggest Takeaways: Mozambique is severely impacted by the TB epidemic, with one of the highest incidences in Africa (368 cases/ 100,000 people in the population). Human-adapted members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) belong to 7 different phylogenetic lineages. These ...
Good Science, Bad Science and How to Make it Better with Ferric Fang and Arturo Casadevall
January 26, 2024 22:37 - 59 minutes - 40.6 MBThe scientific process has the power to deliver a better world and may be the most monumental human achievement. But when it is unethically performed or miscommunicated, it can cause confusion and division. Drs. Fang and Casadevall discuss what is good science, what is bad science and how to make it better. Get the book! Thinking about Science: Good Science, Bad Science, and How to Make It Better
Using AI to Understand How the Gut-Brain Axis Points to Autism With James Morton
December 11, 2023 18:40 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBDr. James Morton discusses how the gut microbiome modulates brain development and function with specific emphasis on how the gut-brain axis points to functional architecture of autism. Watch James' talk from ASM Microbe 2023: Using AI to Glean Insights From Microbiome Data https://youtu.be/hUQls359Spo
Atypical Metabolism of Leishmania and Other Parasitic and Free-Living Protists With Michael Ginger
October 31, 2023 00:05 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBDr. Michael ginger, Dean of the School of Applied Sciences in the Department of Biological and geographical Science at the University of Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, England discusses the atypical metabolism and evolutionary cell biology of parasitic and free-living protists, including Leishmania, Naegleria and even euglinids.
IBS Biomarkers and Diagnostic Diapers With Maria Eugenia Inda-Webb
September 22, 2023 22:54 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBDr. Maria Eugenia Inda-Webb, Pew Postdoctoral Fellow working in the Synthetic Biology Center at MIT builds biosensors to diagnose and treat inflammatory disorders in the gut, like inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease. She discusses how “wearables,” like diagnostic diapers and nursing pads could help monitor microbiome development to treat the diseases of tomorrow. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS or by email. Ashley's Biggest Takeaway...
Think Fungus Early: Preventing Angioinvasion Via Early Detection With Gary Procop
September 01, 2023 20:33 - 41 minutes - 28.4 MBDr. Gary Procop, CEO of the American Board of pathology and professor of pathology at the Cleveland Clinic, Lerner School of Medicine discusses the importance of early detection and diagnosis in order to prevent fungal invasion leading to poor outcomes, particularly in immunocompromised patients. He emphasizes the importance of thinking fungus early, shares his passion for mentoring and talks about key updates in the recently released 7th Edition of Larone’s Medically Important Fungi. Ashl...
Moldy Skin, Invasive Aspergillosis and the Rise of Candida auris With Shawn Lockhart
July 28, 2023 19:13 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBFrom antifungal resistance to disaster microbiology and tales of visible mold growing across the skin of patients following a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, Dr. Shawn Lockhart, Senior Clinical Laboratory Advisor in the Mycotic Diseases Branch at the CDC talks all things fungi—complete with references to pop TV shows and the recently released 7th Edition of Larone’s Medically Important Fungi. Links mentioned: Larone's Medically Important Fungi: A Guide to Identification, 7th Edition (Use co...
Microbial Flavor Profiles for Bread and Wine Production With Kate Howell
July 14, 2023 22:12 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBDr. Kate Howell, Associate Professor of Food Chemistry at the University of Melbourne, Australia discusses how microbes impact the flavor and aroma of food and beverages and shares how microbial interactions can be used to enhance nutritional properties of food and beverage sources. Ashley's Biggest Takeaways Saccharomyces means sugar-loving fungus. Humans have similar olfactory structures and mechanisms as insects and are similarly attracted to fermenting or rotting fruits produced by ...
AncientBiotics With Steve Diggle and Freya Harrison
June 02, 2023 18:55 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBDr. Steve Diggle, ASM Distinguished Lecturer and Microbiology Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia and Dr. Freya Harrison, Associate Microbiology Professor at the University of Warwick in Coventry, U.K., discuss the science behind medieval medical treatments and the benefits of interdisciplinary research. Ashley's Biggest Takeaways Diggle and Harrison met in Oxford, where Harrison was finishing up her Ph.D. and Diggle was doing background research for his w...
Sending Yeast to the Moon With Jessica Lee
May 05, 2023 23:17 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBDr. Jessica Lee, scientist for the Space Biosciences Research Branch at NASA’s AIMS Research Center in Silicon Valley uses both wet-lab experimentation and computational modeling to understand what microbes really experience when they come to space with humans. She discusses space microbiology, food safety and microbial food production in space and the impacts of microgravity and extreme radiation when sending Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the moon. Ashley's Biggest Takeaways Lee applied fo...
Invisible Extinction: The Loss of Our Microbes with Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello and Martin Blaser
April 13, 2023 18:12 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MBDr. Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Henry Rutgers Professor of Microbiome and Health and director of the Rutgers-based New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, and Dr. Martin Blaser, Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers (NJ) discuss the importance of preserving microbial diversity in the human microbiome. The pair, whose research was recently featured in a documentary The Invisibl...
The Self-Experimentation of Barry Marshall
February 07, 2023 21:34 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBDr. Robert Gaynes, distinguished physician and professor of infectious diseases at Emory University, joins Meet the Microbiologist for the 3rd , and final, episode in a unique 3-part segment, in which we share stories about the life and work of medial pioneers in infectious diseases. Here we discuss the career of Dr. Barry Marshall, the Australian physician who is best known for demonstrating in a rather unorthodox way that peptic ulcers are caused by the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori. G...
The Career of Tony Fauci
December 22, 2022 21:39 - 1 hour - 50.2 MBDr. Robert Gaynes, distinguished physician and professor of infectious diseases at Emory University, joins Meet the Microbiologist for the 2nd episode in a unique 3-part series, in which we share the impact of scientists at the heart of various paradigm shifts throughout scientific history. Here we discuss the life and career of Tony Fauci, the scientist who has been recognized as America’s Top Infectious Diseases Doctor and “voice of science” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashley's Biggest...
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi's Discovery of HIV
November 19, 2022 02:51 - 57 minutes - 39.8 MBDr. Robert Gaynes, distinguished physician and professor of infectious diseases at Emory University, joins Meet the Microbiologist for a unique episode, in which we share the story of Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, the French, female scientist who discovered HIV and found herself at the heart of one of the most bitter scientific disputes in recent history. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS or by email. Ashley's Biggest Takeaways The U.S. Centers for D...
Permafrost with Devin Drown
October 28, 2022 22:26 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBEpisode Summary Dr. Devin Drown, associate professor of biology and faculty director of the Institute of Arctic Biology Genomics Core at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, discusses how soil disturbance gradients in the permafrost layer impact microbial communities. He also explains the larger impacts of his research on local plant, animal and human populations, and shares his experience surveilling SARS-CoV-2 variants in Alaska, where he and colleagues have observed a repeat pattern of fo...
To Catch a Virus with Marie Landry and John Booss
October 17, 2022 18:30 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MBDr. Marie Landry, Professor of Laboratory medicine and Infectious Diseases at Yale University School of Medicine and Dr. John Booss, former National Director of Neurology for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs discuss the past, present and future of diagnostic virology. These proclaimed coauthors walk us through the impact of some of the most significant pathogens of our time in preparation for the launch of their 2nd edition of “To Catch a Virus,” a book that recounts the history of viral ...
Outbreak Detection with Wun-Ju Shieh
October 01, 2022 01:03 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBDr. Wun-Ju Shieh, worked as a pathologist and infectious diseases expert with the CDC from 1995-2020. He recounts his experiences conducting high risk autopsies on the frontlines of outbreaks including Ebola, H1N1 influenza, monkeypox and SARS-CoV-1 and 2. He also addresses key questions about factors contributing to the (re)emergence and spread of pathogens and discusses whether outbreaks are becoming more frequent or simply more widely publicized. Ashley’s Biggest Takeaways: • Patholog...
Lyme Disease Prevention and Treatment with Linden Hu
September 02, 2022 20:55 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBDr. Linden Hu, Vice Dean for Research at Tufts University in Boston Massachusetts and Paul and Elaine Chervinsky Professor in Immunology, discusses new and ongoing research pertaining to the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of human Lyme disease. He also discusses some of the key unanswered questions about Lyme, such as how B. burgdorferi adapts to different hosts and environments and why some patients have been known to exhibit persistent symptoms even after treatment. Links ment...
Tardigrades and Microbial Midwives with Mark O. Martin
August 08, 2022 21:50 - 54 minutes - 37.1 MBDr. Mark O. Martin, Associate professor of biology at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington is a distinguished educator with a well-known social media presence. He discusses how he became interested in microbiology and what drives his varied research foci, including #Microbialcentricity, bacterial predation, bioluminescence, tardigrades, microbial midwives and more. In the process, he delves into his passion for using art and other creative approaches to facilitate learning in ...
Shark Epidermis Microbiome with Elizabeth Dinsdale
May 20, 2022 20:15 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MBDr. Elizabeth Dinsdale, Matthew Flinders Fellow in Marine Biology in the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, uses genomic techniques to investigate the biodiversity of microbial communities in distinct ecological niches, including coral reefs, kelp forest and shark epidermis. She discusses how shotgun metagenomics is being used to characterize the architecture of microbial communities living in the thin layer of underlying mucus on shark’s skin, ...
Microbial Culture Collections and the Soil Microbiome with Mallory Choudoir
April 18, 2022 18:18 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MBDr. Mallory Choudoir, microbial ecologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst shares how she leverages microbial culture collections to infer ecological and evolutionary responses to warming soil temperatures. She discusses complexities of the soil microbiome and microbial dispersal dynamics, and introduces fundamental concepts about the intersection between microbes and social equity. Ashley’s Biggest Takeaways: Microbial culture collections are fundame...
Neglected Tropical Diseases and Pandemic Prevention With Peter Hotez
November 01, 2021 20:07 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBPeter Hotez talks about the global impact and historical context of neglected tropical diseases. He also highlights important developments in mass drug administration and vaccine research and shares why he chose to publish the third edition of Forgotten People, Forgotten Diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashley's Biggest Takeaways Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are chronic and debilitating conditions that disproportionately impact people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs...
133: Vibrio cholerae with Rita Colwell
June 10, 2021 22:53 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MBRita Colwell has made major advances in basic and applied microbiology, largely focused on Vibrio cholerae. She describes several lines of evidence for the environmental niche of the bacterium, as well as her work to predict and prepare for cholera outbreaks. Colwell closes with her thoughts on why it’s a great time to be a microbiologist.
Life Science and Earth Science and Biogeomicrobiology with Denise Akob
November 12, 2020 18:53 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MBDenise Akob discusses her studies of microbial communities of contaminated and pristine environments using life science and earth science techniques. She discusses how to figure out “who’s there,” how to optimize select natural microbial activities, and her career path into government research. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Biogeomicrobiology straddles the life science and earth science fields. This is a growing area of research in the academic setting as well as in the private sector, wher...
132: Life Science and Earth Science and Biogeomicrobiology with Denise Akob
November 12, 2020 18:53 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MBDenise Akob discusses her studies of microbial communities of contaminated and pristine environments using life science and earth science techniques. She discusses how to figure out “who’s there,” how to optimize select natural microbial activities, and her career path into government research. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Biogeomicrobiology straddles the life science and earth science fields. This is a growing area of research in the academic setting as well as in the private sector, wher...
131: Powassan virus and tick biology with Marshall Bloom
July 31, 2020 22:27 - 1 hour - 42.7 MBHow does tick biology influence their ability to transmit disease? Marshall Bloom explains the role of the tick salivary glands in Powassan virus transmission and the experiments that led to this discovery. He also provides a historical background for the Rocky Mountain Labs in Hamilton, Montana, and talks about the 3 elements to consider when working with potentially harmful biological agents. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS or by email. Julie’s Big...
130: Bioremediation of oil spills with Joel Kostka
May 19, 2020 19:48 - 49 minutes - 34.1 MBWhat kinds of microorganisms can degrade oil? How do scientists prioritize ecosystems for bioremediation after an oil spill? Joel Kostka discusses his research and the lessons from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that will help scientists be better prepared for oil spills of the future. Links for this Episode: Joel Kostka Lab Website Kostka J. et al. Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria and the Bacterial Community Response in Gulf of Mexico Beach Sands Impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Sp...
129: Arbovirus evolution with Greg Ebel
April 23, 2020 21:26 - 54 minutes - 37.4 MBHow do arboviruses evolve as they pass between different hosts? Greg Ebel discusses his research on West Nile virus evolution and what it means for viral diversity. He also talks about using mosquitos’ most recent blood meal to survey human health in a process called xenosurveillance. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Mosquitoes and other arthropods have limited means of immune defense against infection. One major defense mechanism is RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi uses pieces of the West Nile v...
128: Managing Plant Pathogens Using Streptomyces with Linda Kinkel
March 26, 2020 19:55 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBHow can the intricate relationship between soil microbiota and plants be managed for improved plant health? Linda Kinkel discusses new insights into the plant rhizosphere and the ways that some Streptomyces isolates can protect agricultural crops against bacterial, fungal, oomycete, and nematode infections. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: The soil microbiome is extremely dynamic, with boom-and-bust cycles driven by nutrient fluxes, microbial interactions, plant-driven microbial interactions, ...
127: E. coli and Burkholderia vaccines with Alfredo Torres
March 02, 2020 23:19 - 55 minutes - 38 MBPathogenic E. coli are different than lab-grown or commensal E. coli found in the gut microbiome. Alfredo Torres describes the difference between these, the method his lab is using the develop vaccines against pathogenic E. coli, and how this same method can be used to develop vaccines against Burkholderia infections. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: coli plays many roles inside and outside the scientific laboratory: Laboratory E. coli strains used by scientists to study molecular biology. C...
126: Placental biology, infection and immunity with Carolyn Coyne
February 14, 2020 05:37 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBDoes the fetus have a microbiome? How does the placenta prevent infection? Carolyn Coyne talks about placental structure and biology, and why studying the maternal-fetal interface remains a critical area of research. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: The placenta forms within 3-5 days post conception as a single layer of cells surrounding the fertilized embryo. These cells differentiate and develop into more complex structures. Very few microbes cause fetal disease. Of those that do, the dise...
125: Coronavirus Antiviral Drug Discovery with Timothy Sheahan
January 31, 2020 21:37 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBAre there drugs that can treat coronaviruses? Timothy Sheahan talks about his drug discovery work on a compound that can inhibit all coronaviruses tested so far, and tells how his career path took him to pharmaceutical antiviral research and then back to academia. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Even though the MERS-CoV was discovered as a human pathogen in 2012, it was likely percolating as a disease agent for a long time before that. Banked camel serum provides evidence that the virus had ...
124: Gastroenteritis Viruses with Mary Estes
January 10, 2020 07:26 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBViral gastroenteritis around the world causes 200,000 deaths globally each year. Mary Estes talks about her work on 2 gastroenteritis-causing viruses, rotavirus and norovirus, and tells the story of her discovery of the first viral enterotoxin. She also describes how noroviruses have changed from human volunteer studies to studies using “miniguts,” a system now used with many enteropathogenic microorganisms. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Rotaviruses and noroviruses kill 200,000 people annua...
123: SAR11 and Other Marine Microbes with Steve Giovannoni
December 21, 2019 02:10 - 55 minutes - 38 MBThe most abundant organism on Earth lives in its seas: the marine bacterium SAR11. Steve Giovannoni describes how the origins of SAR11 provided its name, and the ways that studying SAR11 have taught scientists about ocean ecology. He also discusses how the different depths of the ocean vary in their microbial compositions and what his big questions are in marine microbiology. Different depths of the ocean have different habitats, but the microbes vary continuously, based in part on light a...
122: Prions and Chronic Wasting Disease with Jason Bartz
December 06, 2019 21:20 - 49 minutes - 34.1 MBCan a protein be contagious? Jason Bartz discusses his work on prion proteins, which cause spongiform encephalopathy and can be transmitted by ingestion or inhalation among some animals. He further discusses how prions can exist as different strains, and what techniques may help improve diagnosis of subclinical infections. Links for this Episode: Jason Bartz Creighton University website Holec SAM, Yuan Q, and Bartz JC. Alteration of Prion Strain Emergence by Nonhost Factors. mSphere. 20...
121: Microbial Interkingdom Interactions with Deb Hogan
November 21, 2019 20:20 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBMicrobial interactions drive microbial evolution, and in a polymicrobial infection, these interactions can determine patient outcome. Deb Hogan talks about her research on interkingdom interactions between the bacterium Pseudomonas and the fungus Candida, 2 organisms that can cause serious illness in cystic fibrosis patients’ lung infections. Her research aims to better characterize these interactions and to develop better diagnostic tools for assessing disease progression and treatment. L...
Bonus: Diagnosing C. diff Infections for Optimal Patient Outcomes with Colleen Kraft
November 18, 2019 23:52 - 11 minutes - 8.07 MBWhy is C. diff such a serious disease and what are clinical microbiologists doing to improve patient outcomes with better diagnostic tools?
120: Antibiotic-Resistant Infections in Hospital Sinks with Amy Mathers
November 08, 2019 04:28 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBMany hospital-acquired bacterial infections are also drug-resistant. Amy Mathers describes her work tracking these bacteria to their reservoir in hospital sinks, and what tools allowed her team to make these discoveries. Mathers also discusses her work on Klebsiella, a bacterial pathogen for the modern era. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways Nosocomial infections are a type of opportunistic infection: one that w...
119: Microbiome Diversity and Structural Variation with Ami Bhatt
October 24, 2019 20:23 - 55 minutes - 38 MBHow do medical professionals incorporate microbiome science into their patient care? Ami Bhatt discusses her research on the diversity within and between human gut microbiomes, and how this research is slowly and carefully being used to build new patient care recommendations. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways Although these terms are often used interchangeably, microbiome and microbiota represent distinct sampl...
118: Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Infections with Jorge Benach
October 11, 2019 19:02 - 1 hour - 44 MBIdentified in the 1980s, Borrelia burgdorferi and other Lyme disease-associated spirochetes have since been found throughout the world. Jorge Benach answers questions about Lyme Disease symptoms, his role in identifying the causative bacterium, and his current research on multispecies pathogens carried by hard-bodied ticks. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways Erythema migrans (the classic bullseye rash) is the most common manifestation that drives people to go see the doctor to be diagnosed with L...
117: Influenza Virus Evolution with Jesse Bloom
September 26, 2019 22:53 - 52 minutes - 36 MBInfluenza is famous for its ability to mutate and evolve but are mutations always the virus’ friend? Jesse Bloom discusses his work on influenza escape from serum through mutation and how mutations affect influenza virus function and transmission. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Also available on the ASM Podcast Network app. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways Influenza is famous for its ability to mutate and evolve through two major mechanisms...
116: Citrus Greening and the Microbiome in Diabetes with Graciela Lorca
September 13, 2019 05:55 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBGraciela Lorca studies genetic systems to find positive and negative microbial interactions that lead to disease. She talks about her discovery of chemical inhibitors for the citrus greening disease bacterium, Liberibacter asiaticus,and how a specific strain of Lactobacillus johnsoniimodulates the immune system and may help prevent development of diabetes in people. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Also available on the ASM Podcast Network...
115: 20 Years of the Lab Response Network with Julie Villanueva
August 30, 2019 02:35 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBWhen a new biothreat or emerging infectious agent threatens, how are diagnostic protocols put into place? It’s up to the Laboratory Response Network (LRN), a multipartner network of public health, clinical and other labs, to generate and distribute reagents, and provide training to detect these threats. Julie Villanueva, Chief of the Laboratory Preparedness and Response Branch at the CDC, talks about the LRN and how no two weeks on the job are alike. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, G...
114: Global Public Health with George F. Gao
August 15, 2019 12:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBGeorge F. Gao discusses how China CDC promotes global public health during outbreaks SARS and Ebola. He also talks about running a structural biology lab, the importance of both basic and translational research, and the most important discovery of the 20th century. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: China CDC was founded in 2001. Its experience with the SARS outbreak informed its response to the western Africa Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016, having learned that viruses don’t care about national bor...
113: Bacteriophage Interactions in the Gut with Jeremy Barr
August 03, 2019 02:23 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBBacteriophage are viruses that infect specific bacteria. Jeremy Barr discusses his discovery that phage interact with (but don’t infect) mammalian epithelial cells. He explains how these different organisms: bacteria, bacteriophage, and the mammalian host, may exist in three-way symbioses. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Also available on the ASM Podcast Network app. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways Jeremy’s work as a postdoc focused on deve...
112: A Career in Salmonella with Stanley Maloy
July 19, 2019 01:22 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBStanley Maloy discusses his career in Salmonella research, which started with developing molecular tools and is now focused on the role of Salmonella genome plasticity in niche development. He further talks about his role in science entrepreneurship, science education, and working with an international research community. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Stanley’s career began when transposon mutagenesis was a new, cutting-edge technique, and he found the best way to learn how to apply a new m...
111: The Cheese Microbiome with Rachel Dutton
July 03, 2019 22:41 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBCheese rinds contain microbial communities that are relatively simple to study in the lab while offering insight into other, more complex microbial ecosystems. Rachel Dutton discusses her work studying these cheese microbiomes, one of the few microbial ecosystem types where almost all of the microorganisms are culturable. Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Also available on the ASM Podcast Network app. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways The chees...
110: Metagenomic Sequencing for Infectious Diseases Diagnostics with Charles Chiu
June 13, 2019 21:11 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBMost diagnostic tests look for a single microorganism, or at most a limited panel of microorganisms. Charles Chiu discusses his research on metagenomic sequencing as a diagnostic tool that can identify all potential pathogens in a given patient sample. Links for this Episode: MTM Listener Survey, only takes 3 minutes! Thanks;) Charles Chiu Profile at UCSF Chiu Lab at UCSF Validation of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Tests for Universal Pathogen Detection The Eukaryotic G...
109: Antimicrobial-Eating Microorganisms and the Resistome with Gautam Dantas
May 31, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 47.1 MBWhile searching for lignin-degrading soil microbes, Gautam Dantas discovered growth in an antimicrobial compound-containing control! He has since studied the resistance determinants (resistome) of soil and clinical samples to determine their similarities. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Sequencing information is extremely useful for descriptive studies, but there’s an increasing trend in microbiome studies to use the sequencing data as a basis for forming hypotheses. These hypotheses can then ...
108: Microbes, Heme, and Impossible Burgers with Pat Brown
May 16, 2019 21:40 - 1 hour - 47.9 MBPat Brown founded Impossible Foods with a mission to replace animals as a food production technology. Here, he discusses the ways microbial engineering helps produce the plant hemoglobin that provides the Impossible Burger’s meaty qualities. Links for this episode: Take the MTM listener survey(~3 min.) The Microbial Reasons Why the Impossible Tastes So Good Impossible Foods The Conversation: What Makes the Impossible Burger Look and Taste Like Real Beef? Wired:The Impossible Bur...