Did you know there are microbes living in holes in glaciers? What are they doing there and what can we learn from them? Quite a lot actually! This week, Dr. Jaz Millar and I talk all about cryoconite holes which house polar microbial communities, how they're forms, and what they tell us about the past, present, and future conditions of life on Earth. We also learn that when a topic related to something unmicrobial like gasp animals gasp comes up, I'm totally clueless. Jaz tells us the harrowing tale of how they were stranded in Antarctica during the initial Covid-19 lockdowns, what it's like to work in vulnerable polar locations, and how issues of science impact indigenous communities around the world.

Dr. Jaz Millar, PhD is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bristol with expertise in microbiology, molecular biology, and extremophiles. You can follow them on Twitter: @JazzedUpScience and Instagram: @jazzedupscience.

Here are some links to more Jaz-related cool science stuff:

• Extremophiles article on The Conversation

• Interview about being stranded in Antarctica

• Cryoconite holes article

• Paper on cryoconite holes

For more info on microbes and to follow updates of this podcast, find @couch_microscopy on Instagram, @CouchMicroscopy on Twitter, or visit www.couchmicroscopy.com/store for merch!

Music is "Introducing Cosmic Space" by Elf Power and "Vorticella Dreams" by L. Felipe Benites.

While some of the content on this podcast may be relevant to human or veterinary medicine, this information is not medical advice. The views and opinions expressed on this program are those of the host and guests and do not reflect the views of any institution.