In this episode, co-hosts Diane and Olivia interview Paul Naphtali on the microbiota in our body, the symbiotic relationship we have with them, and his graduate thesis work. Paul is a freelance science and medical writer. He completed his M.Sc. in Biology at McMaster University and went through the Ph.D. program in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. He currently provides marketing materials such as blog and editorial articles, case studies, and social media posts for diverse biotech clients in North America. He also edits application notes and white papers for diverse technologies including next-generation sequencing, mass spectrometry, and other techniques for molecular genetics. Tune in to learn more about what it means to be a microbiologist and the wonders that hide in the tiny organisms we live with, invisible to the naked eye.
Introduce yourself and your research/passions 0:36
What made you become interested in studying the microbiome? 3:18
Any advice you have for undergraduates or other students who want to go into microbiology? 4:52
What is microbiology? What are its subtopics? 8:26
What are the different microbiomes we can find in our body? Do they connect or interact in any way? 10:30
What happens when things go wrong?12:39
What other organs’ microbiomes are you interested in? 15:20
What’s the difference between microbiome and microbiota? 17:53
What is the future of antibiotics and superbugs? 20:38
Do you think antibiotic testing can amplify the issue of AMR? 23:35
Tell us about your research on the detection of fecal indicator bacteria in rural groundwater and identifying the fecal contamination sources? 26:12
Did it benefit the community? 29:58
Tell us more about your recent research on the microbiota that are involved in cystic fibrosis? 30:59
What are the major findings of the lab and implications for cystic fibrosis patients? 35:50
Tell us more about your blog Microbe Musings. 37:35