Short Stories of Bacteria

On this themed episode of Short Stories of Bacteria, we tell a couple of fun and spooky stories of history that relate to bacteria.  Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-new-england-vampire-panic-36482878/ https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/folklore/jewett-city-vampires/ https://www.discovermagazine.com/he...

In this episode of SSB, we look at some of the issues that can arise in our four-legged friends, and how researchers are working to remedy them using a close relative of the pooch.  Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8007/3/4/77 https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-021-02815-y

Have you ever considered how bacteria could possibly be used to help around the house? In this episode of SSB, we explore a common way to to use bacteria and how to enhance composting with the powers of science.  Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html https://compost.css.cornell.edu/microorg.html https://compost...

In this episode of SSB, we'll discuss some interesting molecular war machines that bacteria employ to fight each other, and discuss a plucky small bacteria that pulls victory from the jaws of defeat on the battlefield. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4348357/ https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/187010/bac...

In this episode of Short Stories of Bacteria, we return to  M. tuberculosis to ask the fundamental question: how is it so effective at killing us? We'll dive into how it works as a pathogen, and the historically controversial vaccine that is used today to fight  M. tb 's pathogenesis.  Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://www.cdc.gov/tb/...

There is a pathogen that has been chasing after us humanity first came onto the scene. It hounded us for millennia, and only recently have we been able to push back with great effectiveness. On today's episode of SBB, we will explore its story, and how humanity gradually put together enough information to fight back.  Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithd...

Now that we've started talking to bacteria using the power of quorum sensing, what are some ways that we can use quorum sensing in therapy? We answer this question and dive deep into the mechanisms of quorum sensing on today's episode of SSB. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://www.nature.com/articles/nature18930

What would you do if you could speak bacteria-ise? Do bacteria have a language, and if so, how does it work? All this and so very very much more in today's episode! Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23965960/ https://berkeleysciencereview.com/article/2013/06/24/quorum-sensing-microbes-and-squids https://www.ncbi.nlm...

As we continue our discussion on battling antibiotic resistant bacteria, we reintroduce the common bacteriophage. A small critter with a penchant for gobbling up bacteria. Could this be a way to stop bacteria who have gone off the rails and are resistant to antibiotics? Find out in this episode of SSB.   Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://www.md...

When you hear about how scary bacteria can be, it can sometimes be tempting to totally sanitize your life in an attempt to avoid getting sick. But is it better for you to have a sanitized life? What does a world without bacteria look like? All this on today's episode of SSB. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

An emerging problem in healthcare and research is the problem of antibiotic resistance. What is antibiotic resistance and how does it happen? Today we jump into this interesting topic, and set the stage for multiple conversations over the course of the next few weeks. Be sure to tun into today's episode of SSB.  Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ h...

With the release of the film Oppenheimer, have you been wondering how bacteria would deal with nuclear fallout? Of course you have! And while some would be hard pressed to survive, there is one bacteria in particular that may be totally fine. All this and more in this episode of SSB. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ https://www.epa.gov/radtown/natural...

Have you heard that bacteria are very genetically different? Have you heard that they're all over the place? That would mean that there are oodles of bacterial species right? Just how many of them are there? All this and more on this exciting episode of SSB.  https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.science.org/content/article/bonobos-join-ch...

So we've learned about Horizontal Gene Transfer, but how does this work from a mechanistic standpoint? What does a dog and a lawn mower sound like on a podcast? All this and more on this episode of Short Stories of Bacteria. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/

We've learned that we rely on bacteria heavily with things like the microbiome, but have you ever wondered just how much we've relied on bacteria for evolving what can be thought as mammalian characteristics? Do humans and bacteria exchange genes? How do bacteria exchange genes? All this and more on today's episode.. https://www.instagram.com/sciencewithdr_k/ Music by Muzaproduction...

We've always heard of there being just good bacteria and bad bacteria, but are our interactions with bacteria really that simple? What are the limits to this model and what changes it? All this and more in today's episode. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://elifesciences.org/articles/84400   https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bacteria-algae-phytoplankton-symbiosis-backstab htt...

What exactly are we talking about when we talk generally about diversifying the microbiome? Is diversifying the microbiome even relevant or healthy? What if we wanted to increase the diversity of the microbiome, is there something generally that we can do? We'll chit-chat all about this and more on Episode 21 of Short Stories of Bacteria! Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.natur...

Can microbiomes be manipulated into protecting an organism from pathogenic species? Do vaccinations always have to be directed at our immune system? How actually does our immune system work? All this and more will be answered in this episode of Short Stories of Bacteria. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230612114735.htm https://royalsocietypublishi...

It seems like it's very important to prevent bad bacteria from killing us, but what is the impact of giving ourselves good bacteria? Is that even possible, and if so what is the best way to get good bacteria? Find all this out and more in Episode 19: Upgrades. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230510120529.htm https://www.cell.com/cell-host-mic...

It is possible that the building that you're in right now may be contributing or detracting from your health? Today we'll explore how different bacterial communities in different environments impact health, and how emerging technology is moving towards curating those bacterial communities. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220119121350.htm...

In this episode, we'll be investigating how some organisms play piggy-back on the brains of other organisms, turning them into hapless and helpless zombies. We'll give an example of a specific microbe that does this zombification to promote a very unique behavior... Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230519211815.htm https://elifesciences.o...

In this episode of Short Stories of Bacteria, we learn that (heavens forbid!) there are sources of energy other than the mitochondria. In fact, there is one bacteria in particular that tosses out conventional means of energy production and opts for using Metal and Rock to power itself. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220201143958.htm https://journ...

In this episode, we spend a little bit of time differentiating between gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, before we introduce a new, tiny bacteria that is one of the most famous instances of bacterial cannibalism known to science. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.001043

In this episode, we explore the fascinating topic of bacterial altruism, where bacteria seem to act in a totally selfless manner for the good of their communities. Additionally, we introduce biofilms, which are clusters of microorganisms and one of the fundamental units of bacterial communities. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221212140728.htm htt...

In this episode, we learn all about how a vital skeletal process known as bone remodeling is directly linked with the bacteria that populate our body, and how researchers at the International Space Station may have just demonstrated this with a surprising experiment.. Music by Muzaproduction from Pixabay https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230419125058.htm https://www.cell.com/cell-repor...