Today Dr. Hannah Ledvina, Assistant Professor in the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department at the University of Michigan joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how bacteria can protect themselves against predators in unusual ways . . . including a type of armor!

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Hannah Ledvina

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• The "Giant Microbes" website.
• A prompt for my course: an article on "Animals in a Microbial World," with so many interesting examples. Here is a summary for novice #Micronauts.
• A prompt for my course: an article by the late, great Lynn Margulis on the nature of kefir grains and the definition of multicellularity and the organism.
• A prompt for my course: an article on hyperpolyploidy in bacteria.
• An explanation of "genomic islands."
• A link to a previous guest of #MattersMicrobial, Dr. Laura Williams, discussing Bdellovibrio and undergraduate based research.
• An overview of predatory bacteria. Here is a more recent overview.
• An overview of the predator Myxococcus.
• A wonderful video showing the predatory process of Myxococcus.
• A fine review of the predator Bdellovibrio.
• A video of the life cycle of Bdellovibrio.
• Some work by Dr. Koval and colleagues suggesting that aspects of the outer cell wall is not involved with resistance to Bdellovibrio.
• Recent VERY exciting work suggesting that there is indeed a receptor on bacteria that Bdellovibrio can recognize. Here is a short summary of that work.
• Could Bdellovibrio become a "living antibiotic"?
• A reminder from Drs. Kolter and Losick that bacteria in the laboratory can be quite different from their relatives in nature.
• The article under discussion on this podcast by Dr. Ledvina and colleagues. Here is an editorial summary on the article.
• An article on curli proteins in bacteria.
• An article on amyloid like proteins in bacteria.
• A video by Dr. Ledvina on the research interests of her group.
• Thoughts on an "immune system" for bacteria.
• Dr. Ledvina's faculty website.
• Dr. Ledvina's research group website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today Dr. Jessica Mark Welch, Professor at the ADA Forsyth Institute joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the complex and interactive microbial communities living unseen within our mouths . . . and what those communities can tell us.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Jessica Mark Welch

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• Here is a link to the very funny Carisa Hendrix's character "Lucy Darling." I think I made a #Micronaut out of her!
• A link to the wonderful microbiological art of Dr. Lizah van der Aart.
• An overview of FISH technology for visualizing DNA and microbes.
• A reference to R2A medium which helps grow water associated microbes.
• The anatomy of the human tongue.
• The infamous and very interesting article describing how microbes are transmitted between partners via kissing.
• An overview of the oral microbiome.
• The relationship between oral microbiota and blood pressure.
• An article by Dr. Mark Welch and colleagues describing a method for visualizing oral microbial communities.
• An article by Dr. Mark Welch and colleagues about how her techniques can study the kelp microbiome microbiogeography.
• An article by Dr. Mark Welch and colleagues about the oral microbiome.
• An article by Dr. Mark Welch and colleagues about the unusual "corncob" microbes to be found on the human tongue.
• An article by Dr. Jo Handelsman and colleagues describing the THOR soil community, in which even a few members create very diverse responses to the environment.
• An article by Dr. Mark Welch and colleagues about the role of mucus in the oral microbiome.
• An overview of the Forsyth Institute and its mission.
• The Human Oral Microbiome Database website.
• The website for Dr. Mark Welch.
• A fun video snippet with Dr. Mark Welch.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today Dr. Joshua Shrout, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the work of his research team on sociomicrobiology. This includes how bacteria sense a surface, move together in groups, and communicate with one another.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Joshua Shrout

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• Here is a wonderful video about the late great Dr. Esther Lederberg. Here is another article on that same subject.
• Here is an article about prodigiosin synthesis and Serratia marcescens.
• An introduction to the concept of sociomicrobiology.
• An overview of bacterial swarming. Here is a wonderful swarming video.
• An overview of bacterial swimming in liquid.
• An article about group/social motility in Myxococcus.
• A fine video explaining the amazing bacterial flagellar motor.
• An article about Vibrio parahaemolyticus and swarming.
• An overview of quorum sensing.
• Bacteria cultivated in the laboratory undergo mutational changes during "domestication."
• Pigments produced by Pseudomonas, including pyoverdin and pyocyanin.
• An article from Dr. Shrout's laboratory group describing interactions between Pseudomonas and Enterococcus described in this episode.
• The Type IV pili-based motility system.
• An article from Dr. Shrout's laboratory describing how Pseudomonas can "walk" on one pole during swarming.
• Here is a video from Dr. Shrout's laboratory showing Pseudomonas "walking" on their poles.
• An overview video of the Shrout laboratory's research interests.
• Dr. Shrout's faculty website.
• Dr. Shrout's truly beautiful research website. There are wonderful microbial videos there. Very much worth your time.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Today Dr. Petra Levin, the George and Irene Freiberg Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her work with bacterial cell size, environmental stress on bacteria, and antibiotic resistance.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Petra Levin

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• An overview of the periplasm, found in Gram negative bacteria.
• An overview of beta-lactam antibiotics.
• The field of quantitative microbiology.
• An overview of B. subtilis.
• An overview of E. coli.
• An overview of Klebsiella.
• The biography of Barbara McClintock, "A Feeling for the Organism."
• A video explanation of the lac operon of E. coli.
• The LTEE program (Long Term Evolution Experiment) founded by Dr. Rich Lenski.
• The nomenclature of monoderm and diderm bacteria.
• A video explanation of peptidoglycan in bacteria.
• Penicillin binding proteins (PBP) and antibiotic resistance.
• A video about cell division in E. coli.
• A famous article coauthored by Dr. Elio Schaechter that describes cell growth and cell size in bacteria.
• A related article by Dr. Levin and colleagues.
• An overview of ESKAPE bacteria.
• An article from Dr. Levin's research group describing the relationship between pH and antibiotic resistance.
• An article about persister cells and their relevance to antibiotic resistance.
• Dr. Levin's faculty website.
• Dr. Levin's very interesting laboratory website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today Dr. Jeff Gralnick, Professor of the Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences at the University of Minnesota joins the #QualityQuorum to tell us a shocking story about how his research group studies the relationship between electrons, microbes, and metals.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Jeff Gralnick

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• An article about Nobel Prize winner Albert Szent-Györgyi.
• The Soudan Formation Iron Mine discussed during the podcast.
• An article on Banded Iron Formations.
• An article about the Oxygen Crisis early in Earth's history.
• An overview of the bacterium Shewanella.
• An overview of the bacterium Geobacter.
• An overview of microbial redox reactions.
• The "bacterial battery" we discussed: the Mudwatt.
• An article on benthic microbial fuel cells.
• An article on extracellular electron transfer by bacteria.
• The laboratory of Dr. Daniel Bond at the University of Minnesota, and colleague of Dr. Gralnick's.
• An essay on microbial nanowires.
• An essay on cable bacteria, which was the topic of #MattersMicrobial podcast #101 with Dr. Nicole Geerlings.
• The new field of electromicrobiology.
• The relationship between Shewanella and fish! An article by Dr. Gralnick and colleagues on the Shewanella and fish (and bacteriophage) association.
• The article about Jon Beckwith (by Howard Shuman) discussed in the podcast: "With Toothpicks and Logic."
• Dr. Gralnick's faculty website.
• Dr. Gralnick's laboratory website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today Dr. Sean Gibbons, Associate Professor at the Institute for Systems Biology, returns to the #QualityQuorum to tell us about how he and his colleagues are able to listen very carefully to the microbiome to uncover important hints about health.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Sean Gibbons

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• Here is the article from Dr. Norm Pace and coworkers on the showerhead microbiome referenced in the podcast.
• Here is a nonspecialist summary of Dr. Pace's work on the showerhead microbiome and mycobacteria.
• Here is a link to a prior episode of this podcast with Dr. Ameet Pinto on microbiology of the water supply.
• Here is Dr. Gibbon's earlier visit to this podcast.
• An overview of the difference between microbiome and microbiota.
• An article about the "misnumbering" of the number of microbial to human cells in people. Here is a nonspecialist summary.
• An overview of metagenomics.
• An overview of qPCR.
• An overview of flow cytometry.
• Plato's Allegory of the Cave, discussed in this podcast.
• A cautionary tale about determining a cancer microbiome, as discussed in this podcast.
• An article by Dr. Gibbons and colleagues described in this podcast about how to estimate microbial biomass directly.
• An article by Dr. Gibbons and colleagues described in this podcast about how to estimate microbial growth rates in the human gut using metagenomics.
• An article by Dr. Gibbons and colleagues described in this podcast about how to use metagenomics to determine dietary habits.
• The website for Dr. Gibbon's research group.
• The faculty website for Dr. Gibbons at ISB.
• Courses on microbiome sciences online at ISB.
• The website for Institute for Systems Biology.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

In honor of World Rabies Day, Dr. Rodney Rohde, Regents Professor at Texas State University, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss rabies and some of the strategies used to limit the influence of that devastating viral disease.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Rodney Rohde

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• An overview of rabies from the CDC.
• A historical overview of rabies and Louis Pasteur.
• The global impact of rabies.
• Bats and rabies.
• A podcast exploring rabies and myths about vampires and werewolves.
• A wonderful video about rabies SO worth your time.
• A video with three physicians about rabies.
• A detailed review of rabies and the rabies virus.
• The lifecycle of the rabies virus.
• Various tests for rabies.
• The vaccines for rabies.
• Rabies research at the CDC.
• Use of an oral rabies vaccine to eliminate epizootic rabies in coyotes and gray foxes in Texas.
• Information about World Rabies Day.
• The Contagion Live website, including podcasts by Dr. Rohde.
• A video from Dr. Rohde about medical laboratory science.
• A video from Dr. Rohde about rabies.
• Dr. Rohde's biography from the American Society for Microbiology.
• Dr. Rohde's faculty website.
• Dr. Rohde's personal website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Today, Dr. Laura Weyrich, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the paleo oral microbiome! We will learn if our ancestors had the same kind of resident microbes as we do. In addition, we will learn about ancient DNA and what it can tell us.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Laura Weyrich

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• An obituary for my late and much missed microbiologist friend, Dr. Kimberly Walker.
• A link to Episode #9 of #MattersMicrobial, with Sebastian Cocioba.
• The ethics of collecting samples from deceased humans, both ancient and modern.
• An overview of the efforts to study ancient DNA. Here is another review on that topic.
• The importance of proper controls for the study of low DNA abundance samples—the famous "kitome" often observed. Here is an article by Dr. Weyrich and colleagues on this topic, as well.
• A recent article using human bones to detect Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague.
• An overview of the oral microbiome.
• An article describing how dental calculus can be used to recover ancient DNA.
• An article by Dr. Weyrich and colleagues describing the human oral microbiome pre and post Industrial Revolution in Great Britain.
• A video describing our Neanderthal ancestors.
• An article by Dr. Weyrich and colleagues describing the Neanderthal oral microbiome and related issues.
• A fine video by Dr. Weyrich describing her research program. Dr. Weyrich's faculty website.
• Dr. Weyrich's research team website (SO INTERESTING).

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Today, Dr. Lisa Gorski, a microbiologist and food safety consultant recently retired from the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the facts about the disease causing bacterium named Listeria. We will learn about the organism, the disease listeriosis, and food safety.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Lisa Gorski

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• A description of the ice nucleation phenomenon carried out by many bacteria.
• An out of print book by Dr. Jo Handelsman that explained the ice nucleation experiment I often use when I teach.
• An overview of ice nucleation protein.
• A very nice video demonstration of ice nucleation activity I created many years ago with Puget Sound students.
• The relationship between ice nucleation protein and the commercial substance "SnowMax."
• Information from the Centers for Disease Control on Listeria.
• A description of listeriosis, caused by Listeria.
• A cute plush toy depicting Listeria, by the Giant Microbes company.
• A recent review article on Listeria and listeriosis.
• A video depicting "actin rockets" allowing Listeria to move within eukaryotic cells.
• A review article on actin-related motility of intracellular bacteria.
• A description of a recent Listeria outbreak.
• Advice for consumers regarding avoiding listeriosis.
• The United States Department of Agriculture group on food safety and surveillance.
• Articles by Dr. Gorski and colleagues on topics under discussion today.
• Dr. Gorski's LinkedIn profile.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Today, Dr. Dennis Claessen of Leiden University's Institute of Biology joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how some bacteria lose their cell walls, the costs and advantages of that strategy, and how such cells can shed light on antibiotic resistance and even pathogenesis!

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Dennis Claessen

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• Website for the Institute for Biology at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
• The website of Micropia, the world's best known (and perhaps only) museum devoted to microbial life, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
• The "Tardigrade Chair" at Micropia.
• The art of Dr. Lizah van der Aart.
• A video about the cell wall of bacteria.
• A useful overview of the cell wall of bacteria.
• A useful review article about the cell membrane of bacteria.
• An overview of peptidoglycan.
• The discovery of L-forms of bacteria, and Emmy Klieneberger-Nobel, who named them in 1935.
• A review article on L-forms (cell wall deficient) bacteria.
• An article relating L-forms of bacteria and the ability to resist certain antibiotics. Here is another article.
• An article suggesting that L-forms could shed light on the origins of life.
• An article suggesting that L-forms are a strategy for dealing with stress.
• An article from Dr. Claessen's research group showing that L-forms of bacteria are often resistant to bacteriophage infection—and in a reversible fashion.
• A video presentation by Dr. Claessen.
• The faculty website of Dr. Claessen.
• The research website for Dr. Claessen's group.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]