Life Unculturable

Welcome to episode 17 of Life Unculturable and right in time for Halloween, we've got a spooky one for you! If you're up for it, grab your favorite emotional-support plushie and tune in and listen to Sam and Julia talk through the ups and downs of manuscript writing, and what they do to make the process more managable. If you have any questions for Michael, Sam or Julia, let us know down i...

This time on Life Unculturable, we welcome Dr David Westenberg into the studio. He's a seasoned professor in the department of Biological Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and talks to us about his adventures that led him to become a microbiologist and the importance of mentoring students. So, strap in for this rollercoaster ride of stories that include Carl Woese, aga...

Life Unculturable is back! We're kicking things off after a short summer break with versatile guest with fascinating stories: Dr. Jack Gilbert, Professor at the University of California San Diego, Director of both the Microbiome and Metagenomics Center and the Microbiome Core Facility, and co-founder of the Earth Microbiome Project and the American Gut Project. Jack takes us through the scienc...

In this episode of Life Unculturable, finally, Michael sits down in front of a microphone and chats with Sam and Julia about all things science communication and social media. For those of our listeners who always wondered who Michael is - this is the episode for you! You've seen his artwork, read his weird questions on LinkedIn, now be ready to hear him talk. If you have any questions for Mic...

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia talk about one of their favorite methods: microscopy. Tune in to find out why they are doing microscopy and what microscopy techniques they like best - and you might also find out why Sam will never agree to teach an Intro Microbiology lab again! If you have any questions for Sam, Julia, or Michael, drop a comment on YouTube, Spotify, LinkedIn, I...

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia talk all things data collection and then speculate about the yelp reviews on their bioinformatic performances and theorize on the dating profiles of anaerobes. If you have any questions for Sam, Julia, or Michael, drop a comment on YouTube, Spotify, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. or send us an email at lifeunculturable@gmail.com!

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia walk us through their process of how to characterize and describe novel microbes. Tune in to find out what steps are required, what they do first, and how to validly publish a novel organism. If you have any questions for Sam, Julia, or Michael, drop a comment on YouTube, Spotify, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. or send us an email at lifeunculturable@...

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia sit down with Dr Melanie Eldridge from Black Cat Microbiome Consulting to learn all about navigating the ups and downs of academia and industry. Mel is a seasoned captain who has sailed both waters and is now offering her expertise through her two companies Black Cat Microbiome Consulting and Black Cat and Black Cat Genetic Testing. Get in touch...

In this episode, Julia and Sam set out to talk about the special equipment you can find in anaerobic microbiology labs - and then quickly go off the rails to ramble about all things science (and non-science)

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia talk about where anaerobes live and what vacation destination they would likely choose!

We are back with another exciting interview guest! This time Janet Rogers tells us all about Sanger sequencing, mass spectrometry and what had kept her at Oklahoma State University since 1978. Tune in to learn a bit about the history of the sequencing core facility at OSU, what it is like to work for and managing a core facilty and what reason Janet has to diligently keep working out at the Colvin...

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Julia skedaddles away, exploring New Mexico and Arizona, while Sam stays in good 'ole Oklahoma holding down the fort. If you're looking for the science and the nitty gritty parts of anaerobic microbiology, this is not the episode for you! Today, it's all about road trips and childhood memories with a heaping helping of judgement. Please excuse the...

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia are taking a deep dive into the 'bread and butter' of the lab: enrichment and isolation. Tune in to find out how they go about enriching for and isolating specific anaerobic organisms, how they identify their isolates, and what lab equipment they secretly prefer over others.

In the first interview episode of Life Unculturable , Sam and Julia sit down with Drs. Noha Youssef and Mostafa Elshahed, as they chat about microbial ecology, anaerobic fungi, and offer up career advice. Along the way, Sam and Julia learn more about their bosses, determine who is the ‘best’ liar, and try to answer the ultimate question: do PIs ever actually leave the lab?

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia are trying to describe what an anaerobe is, where you can find them and what sets them apart from aerobic organisms. And, as always, yapping included! Tune in to find out what they really think about their anaerobic organisms, and which extremophile they admire most.

Roll up your sleeves, put on your gloves, and tune in to the second episode of Life Unculturable! This time, our sample procurement specialist, Sam, will spill his secrets on where and how he collects samples, and we will be doing an olfactory deep dive into our favorite and least favorite samples to work with. So, settle in and come along for the ride. And if you have any questions for us, hit us...

Welcome to the first episode of Life Unculturable! In this episode, you will meet your hosts, Sam & Julia, and be introduced to this new podcast. So, pull up a chair, take out the oxygen, and join the discussion.