Joyful Microbe

The field of microbiology spans many areas of study, with some focusing on microbes living in different environments, like the ocean, the desert, the soil, and...space. 

Microbes actually can survive in space.

But what types of microbes do this? And how? 

So, I talked with space microbiologist Marta Cortesão about her research and asked her these questions about microbes that live in space.

In this episode, you will learn about…

• What space microbiology is
• What kinds of microbes are in space
• Space microbes from Earth + life on other planets
• How spores help some microbes grow in space
• How to study microbes in space
• How microbes act in space conditions
• Potential for microbes on Jupiter's moon Europa 
• Marta’s journey to space microbiology
• Marta’s Space Microbes Coloring Book
• At-home microbiology activity: Indoor Mold Scavenger Hunt

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/space-microbiology-marta-cortesao/

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What’s something from the microbial world you can go outside and almost be guaranteed to see? I’ll give you a hint. They are those gray, green, yellow, orange, red, and other colorful splotches on trees and rocks. I once even saw one while I was mountain biking. It was growing on an old boot! Those are lichens.

But what are these things we call lichens? And what are they doing hanging out on rocks and other substrates that don’t move? That’s what we’ll talk about in this episode of the podcast. Lichens fall within the microbial world because they are composed of microbes. You’ll learn from lichenologist Dr. Klara Scharnagl why these organisms are so cool and how to enjoy them for yourself in your daily life. You can think of this as your introduction to lichens, learning from an expert in lichens.

In this episode, you will learn about…

• What are lichens?
• The lichen eye
• Are lichens extremophiles?
• What are lichens doing?
• Do lichens harm surfaces they attach to?
• How do they get where they are?
• Fruiting bodies of lichens
• Lichen species names
• The diversity of lichen partnerships
• How long do lichens live?
• Can you see a lichen form?
• Studying lichens in the field vs. the lab
• ​​Lichen buddies
• What it means to be a curator of lichenology
• At-home microbiology activity

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/lichens-klara-scharnagl/

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JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

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We talk about microbes on this podcast. But let’s face it. If you don’t see a picture of them, it’s difficult to imagine what’s going on in the microbial world. That’s why microscopy is so helpful. It allows us to actually see the invisible communities of bacteria, fungi, algae, viruses, archaea, and protozoa.

But sometimes, art does a better job of representing the microbial world and all of its intricacies and nuances. So that’s what my guest on the podcast, Dr. Lizah van der Aart, does. They create microbiology art as a professional science artist and illustrator, helping others express difficult concepts that need descriptive visuals. 

Another thing I love that Lizah does is create microbiology art that anyone can purchase from their online shops, things like enamel pins of bacteria that we talk about in the episode, tote bags, stickers, and coffee mugs. These different products they sell allow us to outwardly express our love, passion, and enthusiasm for microbes.

If you’ve ever wanted to meet a science artist, here’s your chance. We discuss Lizah’s background as a PhD microbiologist and how they decided to combine their passion for microbiology with art to create a career. Lizah works with different clients on science illustration projects, and I’ve actually had the pleasure of working with them on a project of my own. So, we discuss the process of working together to turn my idea of what I thought would be the best Winogradsky column color guide into a real thing. It ended up looking amazing and is a truly beautiful representation of the colorful patterns you might see in your column. Ya gotta see it.

In this episode, you will learn about…

• How bioluminescent bacteria drew Lizah to microbiology
• What makes the soil bacteria Streptomyces so delightful?
• An example of the difficulties in categorizing bacteria: Thermoactinomycetes
• Deciding to start a science illustration business
• How Lizah helps us visualize complex microbiology concepts
• How many bacterial cells can fit in a tote bag?
• Our collaboration on the Joyful Winogradsky Column Guide
• Microbes in our daily lives: the outliers in the microbial world
• At-home microbiology activity: creating microbial shapes

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/science-art-lizah/

JOYFUL MICROBE TWITTER: https://twitter.com/joyfulmicrobe/

JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

JOYFUL WINOGRADSKY COLUMN GUIDE: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/joyfulwinogradskycolumn/

Imagine the last time you were sick and needed antibiotics...now imagine that you took the antibiotic, but the infection didn’t go away. The antibiotic didn’t work. And then the next one didn’t. And then the next one, all the way until none of them worked.

It happens. And although I’ve never personally experienced this, I’d think it would be terrifying.

What would you do? Recently, some doctors have started using viruses called bacteriophages (or phages for short) that can kill bacteria. It’s called phage therapy, and it’s saving people’s lives. 

In the US, phage therapy is something doctors can access only through special authorization by the FDA. But it’s gaining popularity. And in some countries, phage therapy is actually the preferred treatment of choice, but we’ll get to that later.

So, on this podcast episode, I talk to Dr. Jessica Sacher, who is the co-founder of Phage Directory, an organization that connects doctors and patients to scientists that work with phages. Phage Directory simplifies the process of finding the treatment patients desperately need for bacterial infections that have stopped responding to antibiotics. 

When the antibiotics stop working, phages can cure superbug infections.

In this episode, you will learn about…

• An introduction to viruses
• Phages: viruses that infect bacteria
• How to see viruses
• Most viruses do not make us sick
• Could phages ever make us sick?
• What makes phages so specific to the bacteria they infect?
• What is phage therapy?
• Phage Directory: connecting doctors and patients to scientists with phages
• At-home microbiology activity: Fishing with phages

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/phage-therapy-jessica-sacher/

JOYFUL MICROBE NEWSLETTER: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/newsletter/

JOYFUL MICROBE TWITTER: https://twitter.com/joyfulmicrobe/

JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

What if doctors could use microbes to treat infections? It might seem counterintuitive at first because, well, aren’t the microbes the problem? 

Not really. Our bodies have microbes living in and on them, which is a good thing. These organisms, called the human microbiome, help keep us healthy. Because of the amazing benefits of having these microorganisms as a part of us, why couldn’t we try and take bacteria or other microbes that are considered “healthy” and use them to fix some of the problems we experience due to “bad” microbes? 

There are numerous companies developing ways to use microbes to fix microbial problems. So, in this podcast episode, I chat with Dr. Brian Klein. He is the co-founder and CEO of BrickBuilt Therapeutics, a company that is developing microbiome-based therapeutics to treat infections of the mouth.

We discuss the oral, skin, and gut microbiomes of humans and the potential to treat diseases or disorders affecting those sites of the body using microbes.

In this episode, you will learn about…

• The human microbiome
• BrickBuilt Therapeutics: an oral microbiome therapeutics company
• C. difficile infections and fecal transplants
• Microbiome-based therapeutics for C. difficile infections
• Process of turning a microbiome-based discovery into a product
• At-home microbiology activity: sequencing microbiomes

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/microbial-therapeutics-brian-klein/

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JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

The mouth is an ecosystem full of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and protozoa. Although this ecosystem contains many different microbes, in this podcast episode, I’ll be focusing on bacteria. The human mouth is home to hundreds of bacterial species. But what role do they play in tooth decay? And how can we prevent it?

In this episode, you will learn about…

• The oral microbiota: a microbial ecosystem in the mouth
• How what we eat affects our dental health
• How brushing your teeth helps prevent cavities
• What dental cleanings do to help prevent tooth decay
• Practical tips for dental health

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/tooth-decay/

JOYFUL MICROBE TWITTER: https://twitter.com/joyfulmicrobe/

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When you picture a microbiologist, what do you imagine? Someone looking through a microscope? Maybe someone in a lab doing research? In your mind, are they wearing a white coat?

Microbiologists work in so many different types of jobs. You might be surprised about some of the places you will find microbiologists working. So, I brought my friend Shelli Nauman on the Joyful Micobe podcast to share the various jobs she has had as a microbiologist. 

And though she currently works with infection-causing microbes as a hospital infection preventionist, she still has a deep love for microbes. Listening to her talk about it will help you see how you can appreciate the microbial world and still deal with pathogens on a day-to-day basis.

In this episode, you will learn about…

• How to balance working with pathogens with a love for microbes
• The benefits of doing undergraduate research
• Microbiology career options
• Hospital Infection Preventionist
• Microbiology Researcher
• Water Microbiologist and Lab Technician at the Department of Health
• Food Safety Microbiologist
• Quality Assurance Manager
• How we can enjoy microbes and recognize them in our daily lives

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/microbiology-careers-shelli-nauman/

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JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

JOYFUL MICROBE NEWSLETTER: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/newsletter/

Do you love audiobooks? How about audiobooks about microbes?

Finding time to sit down and read a book can be difficult. But audiobooks provide the perfect solution to this dilemma, allowing you to read books and learn on the go.

It’s great that you can read books while doing the boring stuff like getting ready in the morning, doing the dishes, cleaning the house, or driving somewhere. So many options. With an audiobook playing, you can feel like you’ve used your time wisely. Discover a new microbiology-related audiobook in this episode where I go through 11 awesome audiobooks about microbes.

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/11-audiobooks-about-microbes/

JOYFUL MICROBE TWITTER: https://twitter.com/joyfulmicrobe/

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JOYFUL WINOGRADSKY COLUMN GUIDE: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/joyfulwinogradskycolumn/

How do you get people interested in microbiology? Microbiology can be quite abstract since it is the study of organisms we most of the time cannot see without the aid of a microscope. 

Someone who has a passion for helping people discover a love for microbes is Dr. Dave Westenberg. I brought Dave onto the Joyful Microbe podcast because of his passion for microbiology education. He is a professor of Biological Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology, has a PhD in microbiology and molecular genetics, and calls himself a “juggler of microbes.” Don’t worry. We talk about what that means.

He teaches at the university level but also does outreach at the K–12 level and to the general public through events. We talk about how he approaches microbiology education by creating relatable connections and using art and the beauty of colorful microbes to spark curiosity.

In this episode, you will learn about…

• What it means to be a “juggler of microbes”
• What the world looks like through a microbiologist’s eyes
• Why microbes are amazing
• Microbiology teaching strategies
• What microbial agar art is
• How microbes can glow in the dark (bioluminescence)
• A great resource to help you find microbes in your daily life
• Hands-on activity to create a colorful microbial ecosystem (Winogradsky columns)
• Microbiology and teaching resources

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/interest-in-microbiology-dave-westenberg/

JOYFUL MICROBE TWITTER: https://twitter.com/joyfulmicrobe/

JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

JOYFUL WINOGRADSKY COLUMN GUIDE: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/joyfulwinogradskycolumn/

Did you know that microbes live in some surprising places like hot springs, inside of salt, and at the bottom of the ocean?

These organisms that love extreme environments are called extremophiles. Dr. Adrienne Kish is an Associate Professor of Microbiology at the National Museum of Natural History (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle) in Paris, France. As an extremophile microbiologist, she studies how certain organisms on our planet can live in environments that we humans can’t. And really, we usually assume there is no life in those places. I’m thrilled to share my interview with her on the Joyful Microbe podcast.

In this episode, you will learn all about extremophiles:

• What extremophiles are
• Subgroups of organisms that live in extreme environments
• Adaptations of extremophiles
• Types of microbes that are extremophiles
• How extremophiles help in the search for life on other planets
• Hands-on activity to grow extremophiles from pink rock salt and extract their DNA
• Resources to further explore extremophiles

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/extremophiles-adrienne-kish/

JOYFUL MICROBE TWITTER: https://twitter.com/joyfulmicrobe/

JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/