Today, Dr Laura Williams, Director of Undergraduate Research at Georgia Institute of Technology, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss some of the exciting work she did as an associate professor at Providence College with undergraduate students studying predatory bacteria and why we should care about this fascinating topic!

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Laura Williams

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• A quite ancient review article describing the different classes of predatory bacteria by yours truly.
• A very important article on this topic by the late Dr. Lynn Margulis and colleagues.
• An article about my very inspirational first microbiology professor at UCLA, Syd Rittenberg, who did early work on Bdellovibrio.
• Several more up to date review articles on Bdellovibrio.
• The website of Dr. Liz Sockett (where both yours truly and Dr. Williams received some generous training).
• A quite interesting article by Dr. Sockett on Bdellovibrio.
• An article suggesting that predatory bacteria could be used as “living antibiotics.”
• An article describing the BALOs concept.
• The article described by Dr. Williams.
• Dr. Williams laboratory group website.
• Dr. Williams current faculty/administrator page.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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

Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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 mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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 mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

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 mattersmicrobial@gmail.com