Matters Microbial

Today, Dr. Cynthia Silveira of the Department of Biology at Miami University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her research team's efforts to explore how bacterial viruses interact with their host cells from coral reefs to other planets! In addition, Dr. Silveira will discuss her microbiological path and a course she teaches on virology. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest:  Cynthia Silveira Subscribe: A...

Matters Microbial #57: Pitting Metabolic Inhibitors Against Viruses September 18, 2024 Today, Dr. Tracie Delgado of the Biology Department at Seattle Pacific University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her undergraduate research team's explorations of how some herpesviruses can cause cancer . . . and how to use the host cell's metabolism to fight those viruses! Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Tra...

Matters Microbial #56: Marine Microbial Echoes of Evolution September 11, 2024 Today, Dr. Carolina Martinez Gutierrez of the Department of Earth Science at the University of California Santa Barbara joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her research team's efforts to unravel how ancient microbes thrived in the early oceans of Earth's history . . . and to sing the praises of marine microbiology! Host...

Today, the award winning and affable Dr. David Westenberg of the Missouri University of Science and Technology joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss his efforts at microbial outreach from K-12 (and beyond), his fascinating research program, and his experiences teaching microbiology to engineers. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  David Westenberg Subscribe: Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  of ...

Today, Dr. Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Assistant Professor at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science at the University of Miami joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss his laboratory group's work investigating a remarkable group of giant viruses and how they can shape marine algal community structure. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Mohammad Moniruzzaman Subscribe: Apple Podcasts , ...

Today, Dr. Jennifer Goff of the Department of Chemistry at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her laboratory's work studying the relationship between microbes in metal, as well as her path in the microbial sciences. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Jennifer Goff Subscribe: Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  of Matters Microbial! Links for t...

Today, Dr. Justine Debelius of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her fascinating work relating the human microbiome to nasopharyngeal cancer, as well as her path in the microbial sciences. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Justine Debelius Subscribe: Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode  A video ...

Today, Dr. Michele Swanson, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Michigan,  joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the her journey to microbiology, the mysterious disease causing bacterium  Legionella , and how to best create a better scientific ecosystem. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Michele Swanson Subscribe: Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  of Matters Microbial! Links for thi...

Today, Dr. Will Ratcliff of the Georgia Institute of Technology joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the fascinating work his group has done exploring the evolution of multicellularity, and the wonderful example of "snowflake yeast." Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest: William Ratcliff Subscribe: Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode  A  video  of a #LuxA...

Today, Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai of the California Institute of Technology, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her philosophy of the future of biology.  Dr. McFall-Ngai has been described as " …a recognized thought leader regarding the cornerstone role microbiology plays in the life sciences ."  I could not agree more. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Margaret McFall-Ngai Subscribe: Apple Podcasts , ...

Today, Dr. Mark Mandel, Professor of Medical Microbiology & Immunology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the research his laboratory group does exploring how the luminous bacterium  Vibrio fischeri  finds its way into its symbiotic partner, the Hawai'ian Bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes .  It will be an enlightening podcast! Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Mark M...

Today, Dr. Roberto Kolter, Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at Harvard University (and past President of the American Society for Microbiology), joins the Quality Quorum to discuss his life long interest in microbes and microbiology, and how best to present microbiology to the public. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Roberto Kolter Subscribe: Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  of Matters M...

Today, Dr. Nkrumah Grant, Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, joins the Quality Quorum today to discuss aspects of his work in bacterial evolution, the challenges of setting up a new research laboratory, and his quite inspiring journey in academia. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Nkrumah Grant Subscribe: Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  o...

Today, Dr. Michael Schmidt of This Week in Microbiology and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology of the Medical University of South Carolina, joins the Quality Quorum (at a special "live audience" podcast session at the American Society for Microbiology in Atlanta, Georgia) to discuss his fascinating work with copper as an antimicrobial agent. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Michael Schmidt Subs...

Today, Dr. Kimberly Walker, Assistant Professor and Director of Medical Diagnostics at the University of Delaware, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her interesting path in microbiology, from pathogenic bacteria, to predatory microbes, to Congress, to science policy, and then to educating others about medical diagnostics. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Kimberly Walker Subscribe: Apple Podcasts , ...

Today, Dr. Roland Hatzenpichler of Montana State University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the central importance of archaea to our knowledge of the microbial world, ranging from history of their study, misconceptions about archaea, the microbiological bounty of Yellowstone National Park, and how ancient archaea may be the Asgard like ancestors of us all. Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Roland...

Today, Jessica Buchser, graduate of West Chester University and entering PhD student at Pennsylvania State University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss being an older student, how social media and podcasts fueled her interest in the microbial sciences, and her future path as a microbiologist! Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest: Jessica Buchser Subscribe: Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  of M...

Today, Dr. Esther Angert of Cornell University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the role her research collaborators have had studying truly gigantic bacteria, and the adaptations these enormous microbes must make to their size! Host:  Mark O. Martin Guest:  Esther Angert Subscribe:  Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify Become a  patron  of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode A  video  describing the...

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 Hand...

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:  M...

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 Matter...

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 bio...

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:  Mar...

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 G...

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...