Matters Microbial #126: Squid Eggs Come With Antifungal Frosting March 24, 2026

Today Dr. Spencer Nyholm, Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Connecticut, and Director of the Professional Science Master's Program in Microbial Systems Analysis, joins the Quality Quorum to discuss his research group's work exploring how some squid have harnessed microbes to protect their eggs against pathogens!

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Spencer Nyholm

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Links for this episode

• Here is an overview of coral reef symbioses.
• The website for the famed Microbial Diversity course at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole—a superb and life changing experience for any microbial scientist.
• An extremely fun video by Ed Yong (featuring Dr. Ned Ruby and Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai) about the Euprymna scolopes – Vibrio fischeri symbiosis.
• Prior #MattersMicrobial podcasts related to Euprymna scolopes symbioses from Dr. Ruth Isenberg, Dr. Mark Mandel, and Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai.
• The website for Dr. Ruby and Dr. McFall-Ngai which is so very worth your time.
• An overview of the power of confocal laser microscopy.
• The Clasi-FISH technique developed by Dr. Jessica Mark Welch (who also was on this podcast, here).
• The mass spectrometry approach to learning about small bioactive molecules, used by Dr. Marcy Balunas (who also was on this podcast, here).
• The concept of lightsheet microscopy.
• Dr. Nyholm discussed his article during the podcast, an overall review of the squid-Vibrio symbiosis.
• Dr. Nyholm discussed this article during the podcast, from his research team, describing how accessory nidemental gland microbes can protect squid eggs from fungal attack.
• Dr. Nyholm discussed this article during the podcast, from his research team, describing the development of the accessory nidemental gland and its microbiota.
• Dr. Nyholm discussed this article during the podcast, describing early work from his research team (including a former undergraduate student of mine!), exploring the microbes associated with the ANG.
• Concerns about fungal disease and global climate change, described by Dr. Arturo Casadevall (who was on this podcast, here).
• Searching for BGCs (biosynthetic gene clusters) in hopes of finding antimicrobial compounds.
• A link to Dr. Nyholm's faculty webpage.
• A link to Dr. Nyholm's laboratory group webpage.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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