We are back with more sci-fi microbe related material! We dive into star trek, talking about silicone based life forms, grape vines, and Borgs, but not the ones you may think, as well as a new book out called project Hail Mary from the author who wrote the Martian. 

Thanks for all of your support and we hope everyone listening has a good holiday season!

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly. you can also find us on twitter @MicrobiGals.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

In this episode, we dive into the world of sci-fi and the microbes we find in them. In part one we dive into such works as the universe of Star Wars and Midichlorians, H. G. Wells and the war of the worlds, The science of growing potatoes in The Martian, and space tardigrades and the mycelial network in Star Trek Discovery. 

Thanks to our sponsor Zymo Research. you can find out more about the company and their products here. 

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly. you can also find us on twitter @MicrobiGals.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

This weeks episode, we are back with astromicrobiology! We talk with Dr. Blank who talks about her experience being part of the science team with the curiosity rover on Mars, what signs of life we could use to investigate other planets, and using robots in volcanic tubes and caves. 

If you are interested in learning about NASAs BRAILLE (Biologic and Resource Analog Investigations in Low Light Environments) you can click the link here.

Want to see the Boston Dynamics robots in action? Check them out here.

Thanks to our sponsor Zymo Research. you can find out more about the company and their products here. 

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly. you can also find us on twitter @MicrobiGals.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

Thank you again to Dr. Blank for coming on the show and talking to us about her experiences

In this weeks episode we go to space, well the microbes do at least. We talk about the exciting field of astromicrobiology. Tess and Jon discuss what is astromicrobiology, how can we find life on other planets, and maybe where else we may find life in this solar system.

Thanks to our sponsor Zymo Research. you can find out more about the company and their products here. 

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly. you can also find us on twitter @MicrobiGals.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

In this weeks episode we revisit some monstrous microbes in the world. Jon talks about tuberculosis and the New England vampires, Julie tells us about the horrors of zombie ants, and Tess recounts the tribulations of the Salem Witch trials and egotism. 

Thanks to our sponsor Zymo Research. you can find out more about the company and their products here. 

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly. you can also find us on twitter @MicrobiGals.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

Microbigals are finishing up our series of the microbiome by bringing you a gut microbiome DaBOM. Tess, Julie, and Jon bring you articles on how the gut microbiome affect the bodies response to cancerous cells, how certain diet and feeding patterns affect the gut microbiome composition, and how administering a bacteria in mice positively affects obesity and type II diabetes. They also bring some industry news including self replicating ribosomes and a microbiome product filing for licensing. check out the links below.

Articles and links

Oral administration of Blautia wexlerae ameliorates obesity and type 2 diabetes via metabolic remodeling of the gut microbiota

Diet and feeding pattern modulate diurnal dynamics of the ileal microbiome and transcriptome

The microbiome restrains melanoma bone growth by promoting intestinal NK and Th1 cell homing to bone

SERES THERAPEUTICS ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF ROLLING BLA SUBMISSION TO FDA FOR INVESTIGATIONAL MICROBIOME THERAPEUTIC SER-109 FOR RECURRENT C. DIFFICILE INFECTION

Self-replicating protein factories are a step towards artificial life

Thanks to our sponsor Zymo Research. you can find out more about the company and their products here. 

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly. you can also find us on twitter @MicrobiGals.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

In this weeks episode of the microbe moment, Jon talks to Dr. Devlin, an associate professor at Harvard medical school. We talk about how her lab researches the gut microbiome, the particular chemicals, including steroids and sterols that the gut bacteria metabolize and how they affect the body, the actions of bile salt hydrolase on bile acids, and compounds that can inhibit some of these enzymes.

You can find out more about Dr. Devlin's research on twitter @DevlinLab or by visiting the labs website here. 

Thanks to our sponsor Zymo Research. you can find out more about the company and their products here. 

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly. you can also find us on twitter @MicrobiGals.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

In this episode Tess interviews Dr. Travis Gibson, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Investigator, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Associate Member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Travis is one of the leading researchers in machine learning for host-microbiome interactions. and a guru in time-series “omics” from DNA to RNA to Proteins. Tess talks to him about his research, his paper using bioinformatics to reveal dysbiotic microbiome instability, as well as advice and wisdom. 

You can find Travis in Twitter @gibsonlab

To find more out about the research being conducted in his lab, check out the link here.

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

In this weeks episode, Tess, Julie, and Jon continue their journey learning about their personal microbiome by talking about their experiences with the company Zoe. In their experiences they talk about a 2 week blood sugar and fat study, which people can sign up for through Zoe. In addition they talk how Zoe uses these results along with age, sex, and medical history to give a point system to food, with the higher the value the better. This is part food of Zoe's app which also provided things like courses and food journaling similar to Noom. Lastly, they talk about what their microbiome composition was, how did it affect their health, and which company would they go with for microbiome testing.

you can check out more about Zoe by going to their website here.

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.

In this episode, Tess, Julie, and Jon decided to try out the company Viome to tell them about their microbiome. This company does many things including different tests and supplements, but the microbigal team used the at home kit to tell them what microbes are in their gut, health incites and food recommendations. Listen to them go through their results.

you can check out more about Viome by going to their website here.

Visit our website at microbigals.com where we are updating with new content, including blog posts, regularly.

Also, if you would like to donate to our show, we have started a kofi page. you can donate on our website or visit https://ko-fi.com/microbigals.