Today, Dr. George Schaible, Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the exciting work he did during his PhD to unravel a fascinating topic:  multicellular magnetotactic microbes!

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: George Schaible

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• What is a postdoctoral scholar in microbiology? 
• A previous #MattersMicrobial podcast about giant bacteria from Dr. Esther Angert.  
• A previous #MattersMicrobial podcast about magnetotactic bacteria from Dr. Arash Komeili.
• A previous #MattersMicrobial podcast about multicellularity in microbes from Dr Will Ratcliff.  
• The transformative Microbial Diversity Course at the Marine Biological Labs at Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
• An article describing the value of the Microbial Diversity Course. 
• I wrote this blog post on Chlorochromatium aggregatum consortium for Small Things Considered many years ago.  
• The “pink berry” consortium at Woods Hole.
• A research paper on genetic interactions within the pink berry consortium, coauthored by a former undergraduate researcher of mine, Dr. Danielle Campbell.  Yes, I am very proud.
• A strategy to easily enrich for magnetotactic bacteria from nature. Here is a video that informs and amuses.  
• An early report of multicellular magnetotactic microbes.
• The research article under discussion in today’s podcast.
• A link to Dr. Roland Hatzenpichler’s laboratory website (Dr. Hatzenpichler was the originator of this research, all the way back to his own attending the Microbial Diversity Course.).
• The deeply strange genome(s) of Achromatium.
• An introduction to nanoSIMS technology.
• An introduction to stable isotope probing.
• The laboratory website of Dr. Jean-Marie Volland, where Dr. Schaible works at UC Santa Barbara

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today, Dr. Darrell Cockburn, Associate Professor of Food Science at Penn State, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the work his research group has done exploring how starches and other polysaccharides are used by the gut microbiome. 

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Darrell Cockburn

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• An overview of dietary fiber in the diet.
• A primer on the structure of starch and cellulose.
• An overview on starch granules.
• The concept of food gelatinazation.
• An overview of “resistant” starch.
• How Febreze works!
• The concept of the glycemic index of foods.
• An article about resistant starch and colon microbiota.  Another article on this topic.
• A primer on carbohydrate binding modules.
• An article describing the role of short chain fatty acids in digestion.
• An article suggesting that there is no perfect microbiome.
• An interesting article from Dr. Cockburns research group showing that microbes can work together to digest resistant starch.
• Dr. Cockburn’s academic website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today, Dr. Jessica Coates of the Biology Department at Spelman College joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her work combating microbial misinformation in the classroom and to share her journey to the microbial sciences.  

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Jessica Coates

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• A short talk I gave at ASM some time ago about Louis Pasteur and the term “germ.”
• An organization devoted to promoting microbial literacy.
• An example of using podcasting to increase learning outcomes in the STEM classroom.
• An example of using podcasts by scientists to promote learning by students.
• The interesting story of Spelman College.
• An interview with Dr. Coates.
• The academic website of Dr. Coates.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today, Dr. Travis Wiles, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of California, Irvine, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the work he and his research group have done to visualize the changing dynamics of the gut microbiome—including bacteriophages residing there. 

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Travis Wiles

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• Dr Anne Estes’ academic website is found here, along with her blog, and her social media link on Bluesky.  So many interesting ideas!
• Transgenic zebrafish as pets are called GLOfish.
• Use of zebrafish as a model system for developmental biology.
• An article exploring the effects of the microbiome on gnotobiotic (“germ free”) zebrafish.
• An essay on both lytic and lysogenic bacteriophages.
• An essay describing how bacteriophage interact with the gut microbiota.  One of my former undergraduate research students, Dr. Danielle Campbell, works in this area!
• An article suggesting that bacteriophage do in fact interact with eukaryotic cells.
• The concept of phage conversion:  how some bacteriophages carry bacterial genes, including toxin genes.
• An article about bacteriophages and bacterial evolution.
• An article about the study of the zebrafish gut microbiome.
• An article about research with zebrafish and Mycobacterium. 
• The article discussed in this episode by Dr. Wiles’ group: “Phollow: Visualizing Gut Bacteriophage Transmission within Microbial Communities and Living Animals .”   
• Dr. Wiles’ academic website.
• Dr. Wiles’ very colorful and interesting laboratory group website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today, Dr. Ameet Pinto, Carlton S. Wilder Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the microbiome of drinking water and how it can be used to optimize safety and health. 

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Ameet Pinto

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• A short review of a famous article by Dr. Norman Pace about the microbiome of showers and how microbial populations differed due to chlorination.
• An old discussion of microbial oligotrophy:  the ability to survive on very low levels of nutrients.
• The story of John Snow, a water fountain, and cholera in England.
• The concept of “Live/Dead” staining of microbes.
• An overview of the concept of metagenomics.
• An article on the microbiome of shower hoses.
• A public science outreach program to study the microbiome of showerheads.
• The Instagram link for Dr. Pinto’s wonderful cat, Nessie.
• A great book describing exceptions to Mendelian genetics using cats:  “Cats Are Not Peas.”  Highly recommended.
• An article about water supplies and the pathogenic microbe Legionella.
• An overview of water disinfection techniques.
• An introduction to a model system of a microbial soil community, called THOR by Jo Handelsman and colleagues.
• Thinking of water treatment and related technologies as a series of ecological niches, via Tom Curtis and Bill Sloane.
• Dr. Pinto’s faculty website.
• Dr. Pinto’s deeply fascinating research group website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Ever wonder what’s growing on your toothbrush? Today, Dr. Erica Hartmann, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how antimicrobial resistance can occur in the built environment we see all around us every day—and why it is vital to learn more about this association.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Erica Hartmann

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• An essay on the Hygiene Hypothesis.
• An overview of the “built environment.”
• The trouble with triclosan.
• An essay on heavy metal resistance.
• An article from Dr. Hartmann’s group about the toothbrush microbiome (“Project Pottymouth”).
• A link to the Human Microbiome Project.
• An overview of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic resistance genes.
• An article about silver nanoparticles on toothbrushes.
• A blog post about probiotic cleaning products.
• An interesting post from Dr. Hartmann’s team about viruses in your bathroom.
• A video by Dr. Hartmann about her research.
• Dr. Hartmann’s faculty website.
• Dr. Hartmann’s research team website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Today, Dr. Dr. Erika Ganda, Assistant Professor of Food Animal Microbiomes in the Department of Animal Science at Pennsylvania State University, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the varied interests of her research team studying the intersection of animal husbandry, microbiome studies, and the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Erika Ganda

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• A video that Dr. Quinn and yours truly did for an event at Harvard University about #LuxArt.
• A video of a #LuxArt event I ran at ASMCUE a few years ago.
• An overview from the CDC about the One Health concept.
• The story of “Typhoid Mary.”
• An overview of rumen microbiology.
• The glass artwork of Jane Hartman.
• An article about Salmonella dublin and the impact on the dairy industry.
• An introduction to strategies of antibiotic resistance.
• A TED talk about the threat of antibiotic resistance.
• The concept of low level antibiotics to promote growth in chickens and other animals.
• A video demonstrating the swift rise of antibiotic resistance using  the MEGAPLATE approach.
• The accident in Brazil in 2015 releasing metal mining waste leading to increased antibiotic resistance.
• Evidence that microbial zinc resistance leads to increased antibiotic resistance.
• An explainer for proper antibiotic use.
• Dr. Ganda’s faculty website.
• Dr. Ganda’s research website

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Today, Dr. Maria Marco, Professor of Food Science and Technology at the University of California Davis, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss microorganisms in food, intestinal ecosystems, and the role that lactic acid bacteria can play in health and well-being.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Maria Marco

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• An overview of food science microbiology as a career.
• An article on the microbial ecology of sauerkraut.
• An article on Élie Metchnikoff and his ideas about probiotics and health/lifespan.
• An overview of Lactobacillus acidophilus, and an article on its use in medical settings.
• The story of E. coli Nissle. 
• “Wild Fermentations,” a book by Sandor Katz.
• Discussion of clinical trials with probiotics.
• Thoughts about indigenous microbiology.
• A related essay on indigenous microbiology.
• Dr. Marco’s faculty website.
• Dr. Marco’s research website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Today, Dr. Sam Díaz-Muñoz, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, as well as a Faculty Member of the Genome Center at the University of California Davis, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how their group, and a growing community of researchers, investigates the social lives of viruses: the many ways that viruses interact and the ways that interactions shape infections and viral evolution.  

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Sam Díaz-Muñoz

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• An article by Carl Zimmer on the social lives of viruses.’
• An overview of RNA viruses in general.
• An overview of cystoviruses.
• An overview of the use of cystoviruses in the study of evolution.
• A relevant article:  “Open Questions in the Social Lives of Viruses,” Leeks et al. 2023: 
• Another relevant article:  “Sociovirology: Conflict, Cooperation, and Communication among Viruses,” Díaz-Muñoz et al. 2017: 
• The website for the Social Lives of Viruses Meetings 
• An article from Jesse Bloom’s lab showing the variation in single cell infection outcomes (Figure 4 is one of Dr. Díaz-Muñoz’s favorites from any paper).
• The faculty website for Dr. Lin Chao, who was very influential in Dr. Díaz-Muñoz’s background and promoted the study of evolution in microbes.
• The website for Dr. Paul Turner, who was very influential in Dr. Díaz-Muñoz’s background and promoted the study of evolution in microbes.
• The website for Dr. Rich Lenski, who was very influential in Dr. Díaz-Muñoz’s background  and promoted the study of evolution in microbes.
• A CDC article about “shift” versus “drift” in influenza. 
• A video by Dr. Díaz-Muñoz from 2020 about viruses.
• Dr. Díaz-Muñoz’s faculty website.
• Dr. Díaz-Muñoz’s laboratory group website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Today, Dr. Marcy Balunas, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, as well as part of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how her group investigates the chemical signals—the language—between host and microbe symbioses.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Marcy Balunas

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• An article on bacterial colonial variation during domestication, by Dr. Roberto Kolter and colleagues.
• The Tiny Earth Project to crowdsource new bacterial sources of antibiotic compounds.
• An overview of chemical ecology.
• Description of how analytical chemistry is used to investigate symbioses.
• A description of how MALDI is used to identify compounds.
• A description of how LC M/S is used to identify compounds.
• A description of some work done on tunicate-microbe associations by the Balunas lab.
• Dr. Jonathan Klassen collaboration.
• An article on ant based fungal farming.
• Dr. Spencer Nyholm collaboration.
• An article on the squid nidamental gland.
• Dr. Irene Newton collaboration.
• An article on bee associated microbes that protect against fungal infection.
• A video describing some of the work done by the Balunas laboratory on ant fungus farming with Dr. Klassen.
• Dr. Balunas faculty website.
• Balunas laboratory website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to [email protected]