Big Picture Science

Battling Bacteria


Listen Later

We can’t say we weren’t warned. More than 75 years ago, bacteriologist Rene Dubos cautioned that misuse of antibiotics could breed drug-resistant bacteria – and he has been proved prescient. In this episode: the rise of superbugs, why we ignored the warnings about them, how some are enlisting an old therapy to fight back, and whether we’ll heed history’s lessons in the face of a future pandemic. Plus, a weird unforeseen effect of antibiotics being investigated at the Body Farm. 

Guests:

  • Fred Turek - Director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, Department of Neurobology, Northwestern University
  • Jennifer DeBruyn - Microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who also works at the Anthropology Research Facility, a.k.a. the Body Farm  
  • Steffanie Strathdee - Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences at the University of California, San Diego, and co-author (with Tom Patterson) of  “The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug
  • Tom Patterson - Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, and co-author (with Steffanie Strathdee) of “The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug
  • Mark Honigsbaum - Medical Historian, journalist, and lecturer at City University, London, and author of “The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Big Picture ScienceBy Big Picture Science

    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5

    4.5

    912 ratings


    More shows like Big Picture Science

    View all
    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

    64,035 Listeners

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin by Dan Carlin

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin

    11,418 Listeners

    Scott Sigler Slices: MIX TAPE VOL. 1 by Scott Sigler

    Scott Sigler Slices: MIX TAPE VOL. 1

    1,088 Listeners

    The Deadpod by J.Henrikson

    The Deadpod

    1,225 Listeners

    The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

    The Naked Scientists Podcast

    603 Listeners

    Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

    Nature Podcast

    753 Listeners

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

    1,351 Listeners

    SpaceTime with Stuart Gary by Stuart Gary

    SpaceTime with Stuart Gary

    325 Listeners

    Meditation Oasis by Mary and Richard Maddux

    Meditation Oasis

    3,889 Listeners

    Mac OS Ken by Ken Ray

    Mac OS Ken

    902 Listeners

    Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

    Astronomy Cast

    2,880 Listeners

    Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

    Universe Today Podcast

    566 Listeners

    The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

    The Quanta Podcast

    548 Listeners

    Discovery by BBC World Service

    Discovery

    963 Listeners

    BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

    BBC Inside Science

    406 Listeners

    Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

    Science Magazine Podcast

    821 Listeners

    Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    Science Friday

    6,444 Listeners

    Philosophy Bites by Edmonds and Warburton

    Philosophy Bites

    1,539 Listeners

    Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

    Unexpected Elements

    362 Listeners

    CrowdScience by BBC World Service

    CrowdScience

    474 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum

    8,317 Listeners

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

    2,366 Listeners

    Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

    Why This Universe?

    384 Listeners