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Showing episodes and shows of
Karl Klose
Shows
Stammplatz – Fußball News täglich
Wirbel um Eberls Woltemade-Aussage! Ronaldo-Klub will Coman! Klose-Fehlstart!
Stammplatz – tägliche Fußball-News Eine Aussage von Bayern-Boss Max Eberl über den Poker um Nick Woltemade sorgt für kurzzeitige Verwirrung. Al-Nassr, der Verein von Cristiano Ronaldo, ist an Kingsley Coman interessiert und Supertalent Lennart Karl verlängert in München. Ko Itakura verlässt dagegen Gladbach und geht nach Amsterdam. Außerdem Thema: die Zweitligaspiele vom Freitagabend. Hier geht es zum Tippspiel: kicktipp.de/stammplatz-podcast-2526 Instagram Stammplatz-Handy: 015165587282 E-Mail: stammplatz@bild.de Adresse: Stammplatz, André Albers, Kilian Gaffrey und Niklas Heising, Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin Der tägliche Fußball-Podcast mit André Albers, Kilian Gaffrey...
2025-08-09
12 min
microTalk
Weed My Lips: Cannabis Viroids with Dr. Zamir Punja
Viroids are some of the most unusual biological infectious agents because they consist of only very small circular RNA molecules. They are too small to encode proteins, yet they are resilient and cause disease in a variety of agriculturally important plants, including cannabis, the sixth largest cash crop in the U.S. Dr. Zamir Punja is a Professor of Plant Biotechnology at Simon Frasier University, whose laboratory studies the cannabis viroid, which he refers to as the “COVID of cannabis”. Dr. Punja describes how viroids only infect plants, how a viroid stunts the growth and potency of cannab...
2025-01-24
49 min
Terra X History - Der Podcast
Weihnachten - Eine historische Geschichte
„Früher war mehr Lametta“. Das ist vielleicht einer der berühmtesten Sätze des Komikers Loriot. Aber stimmt das auch? Der erste Weihnachtsbaum der Geschichte wurde sehr wahrscheinlich in Deutschland im 16. Jahrhundert aufgestellt. Doch es hingen vor allem Äpfel und Gebäck an den Zweigen. Wann kamen Kerzen und Lametta dazu? Und warum gehören Tannenbaum, Geschenke und üppiges Festessen heute zu Weihnachten – ganz gleich, ob man christlich ist oder nicht? Und warum lassen sich ausgerechnet an Weihnachten auch echte „Singmuffel“ dazu bewegen, „Stille Nacht“ oder „O du fröhliche“ in Familie oder Kirche gemeinsam mit anderen zu singen? Und stimmt es, das...
2024-12-24
1h 04
microTalk
Archaea for Me-a With Dr. Alexandre Bisson
Archaea are one of the three domains of life on earth, but these organisms are much more mysterious and less understood than either Bacteria or Eukaryotes. Dr. Alex Bisson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Brandeis University. His laboratory studies Archaea, primarily focusing on Haloarchaea. Dr. Bisson discusses how Archaea are able to shape-shift from one cell shape to another, how Haloarchaea are able to grow at extremely high salt concentrations, how Archaea cope with being “squishy”, how common polyploidy (multiple copies of chromosomes) is among Archaea, how Haloarchaea are able to desalinate soil...
2024-12-02
59 min
microTalk
Eradication of the Guinea Worm with Adam Weiss
Guinea worm infections have been plaguing mankind throughout recorded history. The Carter Center took the lead in the guinea worm eradication effort in the 1980’s, when there were over 3 million cases per year. Through concentrated effort, this disease is on the brink of extinction, with only 14 human cases in 2023! Adam Weiss, MPH, is the director of the Guinea Worm Eradication Program at the Carter Center. microTalk caught up with Adam at the ASM Microbe conference in Atlanta in a live session to discuss the imminent extinction of guinea worm disease. Weiss talks about how seeing the...
2024-07-11
50 min
microTalk
CHARMing the Superbugs with Dr. Victor Nizet
Antibiotic resistant bacteria are threatening modern society by making antibiotics obsolete. Dr. Nizet is a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Pediatrics at UCSD, as well as the faculty lead for the UCSD Collaborative to Halt Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes (CHARM). His laboratory studies how the human immune system interacts with microbial pathogens, with particular focus on antibiotic resistant bacteria and how to treat them. Dr. Nizet discusses how his training as a physician helps drive the research in his laboratory, how repurposing therapeutic drugs could help fight antimicrobial resistance, how taking advantage of host immune responses...
2024-05-08
53 min
microTalk
300 Days in Space with Astronaut Dr. Kate Rubins
Houston, we definitely do NOT have a problem…with interviewing Dr. Kate Rubins, NASA astronaut. Dr. Rubins is a virologist who has spent over 300 days in space, performing experiments aboard the International Space Station, where she was the first person to sequence DNA in space. We caught up with Dr. Rubins at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, where she discusses what it felt like the first time she saw the earth from space, some of the difficulties in performing research without gravity, how to study the microbiome of the ISS, how the international inhabitants of the ISS...
2024-03-09
56 min
RADIOREISE mit Alexander Tauscher - macht Reiselust!
REISELUST - Coburg
In dieser Radioreise nimmt Sie Alexander Tauscher mit auf einen Rundgang durch Coburg. Wir sind vorwiegend auf dem Weg des guten Geschmacks unterwegs. Bratwurst-Brater und Nachtwächter Stefan Leis beschreibt uns das Besondere der berühmten Coburger Bratwurst, in die wir natürlich genußvoll hineinbeißen. Der Wirt des ältesten Gasthauses in Coburg, Markus Zimmer, erklärt uns, was es mit dem Coburger Rutscher aufsich hat. Auch im Gasthaus "Goldenes Kreuz" werden diese traditionellen Coburger Klöße nach dem alten Rezept hergestellt. Rico Böhme, DJ und Moderator beim Lokalsender Radio Eins, erinnert sich an seinen Weg aus dem einsti...
2024-01-21
56 min
microTalk
Gut on a Chip: Human Gastrointestinal Organoids with Dr. Hyun Jung Kim
Dr. Hyun Jung Kim, an Assistant Professor at Cleveland Clinic specializes in coaxing human cultured cells to differentiate and form tissues resembling the gastrointestinal tract, in order to study microbe-GI interactions. Dr. Kim discusses his surprising discovery of how common immortalized cultured cells can differentiate and form something that resembles a gut-on-a-chip, how these guts-on-a-chip can be used to study diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer, how the addition of a microbiome to the gut-on-a-chip allows the bacteria to retain diversity unlike in a test tube, how the gut-on-a-chip could be valuable for personalized medicine, a...
2024-01-13
43 min
microTalk
Plague, Anthrax, and ASM, Oh My! With ASM president Virginia Miller and president-elect Theresa Koehler
Plague and anthrax are feared diseases due to high mortality rates following pulmonary exposure, and both are considered potential bioweapons. Dr. Virginia Miller, professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and ASM President, studies plague, as well as other Gram negative bacteria. Dr. Theresa Koehler, emeritus professor at UTHealth Houston and ASM president-elect, is an expert in anthrax. microTalk caught up with Dr. Miller and Dr. Koehler at ASM Microbe 2023 in Houston to discuss these biothreat agents. Dr. Miller discusses why she studies plague, the differences between bubonic and pneumonic pl...
2023-10-18
45 min
microTalk
Microbes to the Rescue! Bioremediation with Dr. John Coates
Dr. John Coates, a professor at the University of California Berkeley specializes in environmental microbiology and how microbes can be utilized to resolve problems in industry. microTalk caught up with Dr. Coates at the ASMicrobe conference in Houston and discussed his research in applied and environmental microbiology. Dr. Coates discusses an unexpected discovery of how microbes drive the iodine cycle on earth, how sequencing microbes in the oceans has been beneficial for identifying novel biochemical activities, how climate change has stimulated his research into the “bioeconomy”, why he’s optimistic that science can mitigate the effects...
2023-08-04
51 min
microTalk
The Evolution Revolution with Dr. Vaughn Cooper
The study of evolution has experienced a tremendous revolution with the advances in current sequencing technologies enabling e.g. rapid whole genome sequencing. Dr. Vaughn Cooper, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies evolution in microbes, has taken advantage of these technologies to delve into how microorganisms adapt and evolve in different environments. microTalk caught up with Dr. Cooper at the ASM Microbe conference in Houston and discussed microbial evolution with him. Dr. Cooper discusses the power of next generation sequencing for the study of evolution, how mutation rates affect evolution, how providing ha...
2023-07-07
42 min
microTalk
Adversary o’ Malaria with Dr. Debopam Chakrabarti
Malaria continues to have a significant impact on humans. The Plasmodium parasites are transmitted through mosquito bites, and the disease has a tremendous impact on global health. Dr. Debopam Chakrabarti, a professor at the University of Central Florida who specializes in malaria. Dr. Chakrabarti discusses the history of the search for antimalarials, the problem of parasite drug resistance, how undergraduates can help to discover the next antimalarials, whether eradication of mosquitoes will eliminate malaria, and his challenging passion in growing roses in Florida. This episode was supported by ArchaeaMingle.com, for single-celled organisms looking for...
2023-05-16
41 min
microTalk
“Ex” Marks the Spot: Exosomes with Ramin Hakami
Exosomes are small vesicles that that facilitate communication between eukaryotic cells. They resemble mini-cells, and act like carrier pigeons, trafficking various “payloads” among cells. Dr. Ramin Hakami is a Professor of Microbiology at George Mason University. Dr. Hakami studies how infectious diseases are modulated by exosome signaling. Dr. Hakami talks about how exosomes can deliver messages to cells, how Rift Valley Fever and Plague affect exosome signaling within infected hosts, how exosomes provide specificity and a “reply all” function to signaling, how being in a Nobel lab affected his approach to science, and his alternate career as a salsa...
2023-04-05
40 min
microTalk
Coxiella burnettii with Stacey Gilk
Coxiella burnettii causes Q Fever, a zoonotic disease that is rarely acquired by humans. But Q Fever has a history of being developed as a bioweapon because of its ability to be spread by aerosols and cause debilitating but not lethal disease. Dr. Stacey Gilk is an Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center who studies Coxiella. Dr. Gilk talks about what makes Q Fever a potential biothreat agent, how figuring out how to grow Coxiella outside of cells revolutionized the study of this bacterium that was thought to only grow intracellularly, how a large outb...
2022-12-03
35 min
microTalk
Chytridiomycosis: Amphibians and Fungal Disease with Anat Belasen
There have been dramatic declines in amphibian populations around the world, and one of the culprits is the disease Chytridiomycosis. This is a skin disease of amphibians caused by two different species of Batrachochytrium fungi, and it has decimated frog and salamander populations and even driven some to extinction. Dr. Anat Belasen is a post-doctoral scientist at the University of Texas Austin who studies Chytridiomycosis. Dr. Belasen discusses how some amphibians are highly susceptible to this disease whereas others are resistant, why amphibian skin is so important for their well-being, how frogs can be considered a biological indic...
2022-11-19
42 min
microTalk
The Largest Bacterium, Thiomargarita Magnifica, with Jean-Marie Volland
Microbiology textbooks teach that bacteria are so small that they cannot be seen without a microscope, and that they do not contain organelles or a nucleus. Then along comes Thiomargarita magnifica and smashes this dogma. T. magnifica is a giant bacterium that reaches 2 cm in length and can be easily seen with the naked eye. These bacteria, about the size of an eyelash, grow in mangrove swamps. Dr. Jean-Marie Volland is a scientist at the Laboratory for Research in Complex Systems in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories. Dr. Volland has characterized the surprising properties of T. magnifica, an...
2022-11-03
58 min
microTalk
Vibrio vulnificus (and other Vibrios) with Salvador Almagro-Moreno
Vibrios are marine bacteria that live in aquatic environments with a lot of other microbes, and occasionally a particular strain will arise that can cause serious disease in humans and can spread through the population in pandemics. V. cholerae causes large pandemics of cholera, and V. vulnificus causes sporadic cases of necrotizing fasciitis. Genomic sequencing has allowed scientists to follow the evolution of pathogens as they pass through the human population, and highlighted specific genomic changes that are associated with disease. Dr. Salvador Almagro-Moreno is an assistant professor in the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ce...
2022-10-14
1h 02
microTalk
Get a Whiff of Cdiff: A Discussion About C. difficile with Vincent Young
One of the consequences of the “Antibiotic Era” has been the increased occurrence of infections caused by Clostridioides difficile, also known as “Cdiff”, which in some cases can be life-threatening. Antibiotics alter the microbes that live in the gastrointestinal tract (the “microbiome”) allowing Cdiff to thrive and cause disease. Dr. Vincent Young is professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. Young is an expert on Cdiff and its interactions with the microbiome. Dr. Young discusses how Cdiff infections have increased over the past several decades, how fecal trans...
2022-09-22
52 min
microTalk
A Career in the Time of Cholera: A Discussion with ASM Lifetime Achievement Award Winner John Mekalanos
Dr. John Mekalanos (Harvard Medical School) has devoted his career to the study of bacterial pathogens, with a special emphasis to understanding Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes the deadly disease cholera. And what an amazingly productive research path he has followed, from the discovery and characterization of the regulon that controls V. cholerae virulence, to the identification of the pilus that allows the bacteria to colonize the intestine, to the discovery of the bacteriophage that encodes the cholera toxin. His (relatively) recent discovery of the Type VI Secretion System and characterization of its role in inter-bacterial competition and ho...
2022-07-27
53 min
DONE DEALS – Der Transfermarkt-Podcast
Episode 3: Der FC Bayern plündert das Festgeldkonto
2007 ist der FC Bayern am Tiefpunkt. Was folgt, sind beispiellose Transfers von Ribery, Robben und Neuer, die die Dominanz auf Jahrzehnte festigen. „Ob ich zu Bayern gegangen wäre, wenn Van Gaal nicht da gewesen wäre? Ich weiß es ehrlich nicht“ Diese Aussage richtete José Mourinho als Chelsea-Trainer einst in Richtung des früheren Klubbesitzers. Episode 3 des Transfermarkt-Podcasts „Done Deals“ handelt von den spannenden Jahren zwischen 2007 und 2013 beim FC Bayern München. Journalist Dirk Adam, damals für Eurosport aktiv und heute bei Sports Illustrated, war damals täglich an der Säbener Straße und lässt Euch an seinen Erin...
2022-06-30
1h 07
Rechtsgespräch
Folge – Frauenrechte und Zugang zum Recht in Nepal, grüne Rechtspolitik und Zukunft der Anwaltschaft
In der fünfzehnten Folge des Rechtsgespräch-Podcasts spreche ich mit Sarmila Shrestha. Sie ist Rechtsanwältin in Kathmandu (Nepal) und hat über strategische Prozessführung beeindruckende Rechtsänderungen erwirkt und Frauenrechte gestärkt. Mein zweiter Gast: Katja Keul, grüne Rechtspolitikerin im Bundestag. Mit ihr spreche ich über grüne Rechtspolitik, die Rolle der Justizministerien als Anwälte der Justiz und über engagierte Anwältinnen und Anwälte, die Zugang zum Recht gewähren. Mein dritter Gesprächspartner: Karl-Peter Winters, ehemaliger Hauptgeschäftsführer des Deutschen Anwaltvereins, der 1990 ein Buch über die Zukunft der Anwaltschaft geschrieben hat. Ich frage: Welche Ihrer...
2021-06-02
1h 13
We Talking About Sportz
WTBS EP 41 WHAT IF KOBE WENT TO COLLEGE? UFC 261 COVERS USMAN VS MASVIDAL
WTBS EP 41 WHAT IF KOBE WENT TO COLLEGE NFL DRAFT Ohio State QB Justin Fields managing epilepsy as he heads into 2021 NFL Draft MMA Kamaru “Nigerian Nightmare” Usman -400 vs Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal +310 KAMARU - Kamaru "The Nigerian Nightmare" Usman MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography JORGE - Jorge "Gamebred" Masvidal MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography Zhang “MAGNUM” Weili -190 vs Rose “THUG” Namajunas +160 ZHANG - https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Weili-Zhang-186663 ROSE - https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rose-Namajunas-69083 Valentina “BULLET” Shevchenko -400 vs Jessica “BATE ESTACA” Andrade +310 VALENTINA - Valentina "Bullet" Shevchenko MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography JESSICA - Jess...
2021-04-23
1h 34
We Talking About Sportz
WTBS EP 41 WHAT IF KOBE WENT TO COLLEGE? UFC 261 COVERS USMAN VS MASVIDAL
WTBS EP 41 WHAT IF KOBE WENT TO COLLEGE NFL DRAFT Ohio State QB Justin Fields managing epilepsy as he heads into 2021 NFL Draft MMA Kamaru “Nigerian Nightmare” Usman -400 vs Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal +310 KAMARU - Kamaru "The Nigerian Nightmare" Usman MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography JORGE - Jorge "Gamebred" Masvidal MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography Zhang “MAGNUM” Weili -190 vs Rose “THUG” Namajunas +160 ZHANG - https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Weili-Zhang-186663 ROSE - https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Rose-Namajunas-69083 Valentina “BULLET” Shevchenko -400 vs Jessica “BATE ESTACA” Andrade +310 VALENTINA - Valentina "Bullet" Shevchenko MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos...
2021-04-23
1h 34
MMA on the Rocks
237 - That Was Klose - UFC Vegas 24 - Jake Paul vs Ben Askren
This week we break down the action from UFC Vegas 24, headlined by middleweight contenders Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum. We talk about the card, the boxing fiasco headlined by Ben Askren and Jake Paul, Bellator 257, toddler behavior, booze, preview UFC 261 and more. As always, shares, reviews, feedback and criticisms are appreciated - cheers! MMA on the Rocks T-Shirts - Use promo code: MMAROCKS10 MMA on the Rocks Tank Tops Support the Show UFC Vegas 24: 185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum 155 lbs.: Drakkar Klose vs. Jeremy Stephens — CANCELED
2021-04-18
1h 30
microTalk
"Crypto" currency: Cryptosporidium with Boris Striepen
Watch out for this kind of “Crypto” Currency: Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes diarrheal disease in humans. Cryptosporidiosis is a common cause of waterborne disease in the U.S., and responsible for serious and potentially fatal infections in HIV positive individuals and malnourished infants. Dr. Boris Striepen is a Professor of Pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Striepen studies Cryptosporidium and how it causes disease. Dr. Striepen talks about how Cryptosporidium multiplies rapidly and has sex inside your intestines, how Cryptosporidium is similar to its cousin the malaria parasite, how genet...
2021-03-23
52 min
Chronicles On The Fly
Up Klose with Karl
We're livestreaming the podcast on Facebook with a special guest! It's a robust family affair with listener Karl. He's Mel and Dom's cousin and a keen listener of the Chronicles, and he's lucky enough to get his mug on camera in this 4-way free-for-all. The 4 of us begin with some Italian soccer trash talk before we get into the rape accusations leveled at Australia's Attorney General, Christian Porter. And it's a very interesting discussion with some varied opinions. Some state vs federal politics talk. We also discuss Joe Biden's mental state and U.S. politics. An...
2021-03-20
1h 05
microTalk
The Chicken Runs: Campylobacter Diarrhea with David Hendrixson
Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of diarrheal disease in humans. However, C. jejuni is also naturally found in chickens and doesn’t cause them any problems, so people frequently get sick from eating undercooked chicken. Dr. David Hendrixson is a Professor of Microbiology at the UT Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Hendrixson studies C. jejuni and how it causes disease. Dr. Hendrixson talks about why C. jejuni is preferentially found in chickens and other birds, how C. jejuni is also associated with the paralytic condition Guillain-Barre syndrome, how the motility of C. jejuni helps it ca...
2020-06-17
52 min
microTalk
The Eyes Have It: Corneal Infections with Eric Pearlman
Our eyes are one of the most sensitive areas on our bodies, and they are constantly bathed in microbes, and yet we rarely get eye infections. However, certain microbes can take advantage of minor injuries to the eye and cause very serious infections that can lead to blindness. Dr. Eric Pearlman is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California Irvine and the Director of the Institute for Immunology. Dr. Pearlman studies how the immune system is able to fight against bacteria and fungi that manage to infect the cornea. Dr...
2020-04-16
1h 05
microTalk
Cheese Please! The Cheese Microbiome with Rachel Dutton
Cheese is delicious, and also the product of a complex mixture of microbes. Different communities of microbes produce the wide variety of cheeses made around the world. Dr. Rachel Dutton is an Assistant Professor at the University of California San Diego who studies cheese microbiomes. Dr. Dutton talks about how cheese is made, how the cheese microbiome is a great model for understanding how microbes interact with each other, how the microbial community determines what type of cheese is made, how her experience working on a cheese farm influenced her research, how the...
2020-04-04
54 min
microTalk
Fun(gus) in the Sun(gus): Fungal Infections with Neil Clancy
Candida albicans is the most common cause of fungal disease in the United States. C. albicans can cause serious and often fatal systemic infections, especially in hospitalized patients with underlying conditions. Dr. Cornelius Clancy is an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and the Director of the XDR Pathogen Lab. Dr. Clancy talks about the clinical implications of fungal infections, how a physician should communicate with patients, how the unique perspective of a clinician enhances research, why there is a lack of effective antifungal drugs, why the societal cost needs to be factored into the cost...
2020-02-26
51 min
microTalk
Tick Schtick: Lyme Disease with Tim Sellati
Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. The bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted to humans through the bite of a deer tick, and can lead to the debilitating disease that most commonly is associated with arthritis, but can also cause heart and neurological problems. Dr. Tim Sellati is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Global Lyme Alliance (GLA). GLA is dedicated to development of more effective diagnostics and treatments of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Dr. Sellati talks about how people can avoid Lyme Disease, what typically happens when someone is...
2020-01-07
1h 05
microTalk
The Rules of Attraction: Bacterial Magnetosomes with Arash Komeili
Some bacteria have the amazing ability to orient themselves using the earth’s magnetic field, due to the presence of an intracellular organelle called the magnetosome, which are estimated to have evolved 3 billion years ago. Dr. Arash Komeili is a Professor at the University of California Berkeley who studies bacterial magnetosomes. Dr. Komeili talks about how magnetotactic bacteria were discovered, how the earth’s magnetic field orients the bacteria in the aquatic environment, whether a Martian meteorite had bacterial magnetite in it, how bacterial magnetosomes can be exploited for targeting cancer cells, and whether bacterial magneto...
2019-12-16
52 min
microTalk
TB or not TB? That is the Question… for Bill Jacobs
Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world, with approximately 10 million people becoming sick and 1.5 million people dying every year from Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Dr. William Jacobs is a Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and member of the National Academy of Sciences who studies M. tuberculosis. TB is notoriously difficult to treat, due to the slow growth and persistence of the bacteria in the lungs, requiring extensive antibiotic treatment over a long period of time. Dr. Jacobs talks about the history of tuberculosis (“consumption”) in huma...
2019-12-03
48 min
microTalk
Geezer Germs: Geriatric Bacteria with Steve Finkel
What happens when a bacterium gets old? Continuous culture of bacteria without any added nutrients can reveal the dynamics of “old” bacteria. Dr. Steve Finkel is a Professor at University of Southern California who studies what happens beyond “stationary phase” in bacterial cultures. Finkel studies the Growth Advantage in Stationary Phase (GASP) phenotype, which dominates in “old” bacterial cultures, and which represents adaptive evolutionary change. Finkel talks about how studying old bacteria gives insight into aging in other organisms, whether bacteria can divide forever, how bacteria choose not to divide unless they are certain they can finish d...
2019-11-19
1h 03
microTalk
All Hail Females: Women in Science with Joan Bennett
Despite comprising half of the population, women are underrepresented as scientific professionals. The reasons for underrepresentation are multi-factorial. Dr. Joan Bennett is a Professor at Rutgers University who studies fungi; she is a past president of the American Society of Microbiology, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Throughout her career, Bennett has taken a special interest in the advancement of women in science and she continues to work on behalf of women’s issues at local, national, and international levels. Bennett talks about how women’s scientific accomplishments have been frequently overlooked, what...
2019-11-07
57 min
microTalk
Biotechnology Ideology: Genomics Technologies with Joe DeRisi
Genomics-based technologies have revolutionized science. From microarrays to next-generation sequencing, genomics technologies are having a tremendous positive impact on all aspects of human health. Dr. Joe DeRisi is a professor at the University of California San Francisco and co-president of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. DeRisi has been at the forefront of developing and using genomics-based technologies to address infectious disease challenges. DeRisi talks about how genomics helped solve the mystery of dying leopard sharks in San Francisco bay, how a “virochip” array helped identify the SARS virus, how genomics can help identify unknown causes of ence...
2019-10-22
59 min
microTalk
Undone by Fungi Again: The Mycobiome with Mahmoud Ghannoum
One reason is because the overwhelming bacterial members of the microbiome keep the fungi in check. Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum is a professor at Case Western University and the director of the Center for Medical Mycology, who studies fungal pathogens, such as Candida, Aspergillus, and Cryptococcus. Ghannoum talks about how changes in the bacterial microbiome cause the fungi to overgrow and cause disease, how bacteria and fungi can “play together” to cause problems, how diet, lifestyle, and probiotics can help keep the bad fungi from overgrowing, how scientific data is needed to analyze the effect of diet and prob...
2019-09-30
45 min
microTalk
Lilliputian Evolution: Bacterial Evolution with Stanley Maloy
The presence of bacterial toxins in a remote coral reef got Stanley Maloy thinking about the evolution of pathogens, and where “emerging diseases” come from. Dr. Stanley Maloy is a professor at San Diego State University who studies Salmonella, which causes gastrointestinal illness as well as more systemic disease in various hosts. He is the associate vice president for research and has been involved in the development of a number of biotech companies, and he’s a great storyteller to boot. Maloy talks about how thinking about bacterial pathogens from the bug’s point of...
2019-09-11
1h 09
microTalk
The Age of Phage: Phage Therapy with Graham Hatfull
Bacteriophages (“phages”), or bacterial viruses, are the most abundant biological entity on the planet, and the microbial world is shaped by these predators and parasites. The ability of bacteriophages to specifically target and kill their prey is being explored as an alternate therapy to antibiotics against various bacterial diseases. Dr. Graham Hatfull is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, and the phages that infect it. Hatfull directs the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program along with the Howard Hugh...
2019-08-19
1h 06
microTalk
Urine Trouble: Urinary Tract Infections with Harry Mobley
Frequent urges to go “number one” can be the symptom of a urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the most common types of bacterial infections in humans. Usually the treatment of UTIs is quick and effective, but sometimes the organisms causing the infection can get into the kidneys and cause serious and even fatal disease. Dr. Harry Mobley is a professor at the University of Michigan who studies UTIs caused by Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis. Mobley talks about the mystery of why some people get recurrent UTIs, the amazing ability of P. mirabilis to swarm, how E. c...
2019-08-05
44 min
microTalk
Vibri-Oh-No! - “Flesh Eating” Vibrios with Karla Satchell
Summer brings warm beach weather, and with it come gruesome news reports of “flesh eating disease” that people catch from the ocean. Vibrio vulnificus is a marine bacterium that prefers warmer seawater, and it can infect wounds and cause necrotizing fasciitis, also known as “flesh eating disease”, that can rapidly turn into a fatal infection. Dr. Karla Satchell is a professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University who studies the toxins made by V. vulnificus and other Vibrios that allow them to cause disease. Satchell talks about how people get infected with V. vulni...
2019-07-22
1h 02
microTalk
Goodbye Guinea Worm: Guinea Worm Eradication with Adam Weiss
One of the more gruesome parasitic infections is that of the guinea worm: these 3 feet long worms typically emerge from painful boils in the feet to release eggs, and have to be slowly wound onto a stick over the course of days to weeks to pull them them out of the infected person’s leg. This debilitating infection afflicted 3.5 million people per year in 1986, when the Carter Center (founded by President Jimmy Carter) took the lead in the effort to eradicate guinea worm disease. Through concentrated effort, this disease is now on the brink of extinction with on...
2019-07-11
1h 10
microTalk
Microbes in Hot Water: Climate Change with Sanghoon Kang
The earth is warming up, and many aspects of life on earth are changing with the changing climate. Increased global temperature has multifactorial impacts on living organisms, including microbes. Dr. Sanghoon Kang is an assistant professor at Baylor University who studies climate change and its effects on microbial communities. Dr. Kang talks about impacts of climate change on infectious diseases, how increased ocean temperatures lead to increased human infections and destruction of corals, how scientific literacy can help combat climate change, how sustainability is key to human survival on the planet, how Waco TX is trying to...
2019-05-17
51 min
microTalk
Into the Matrix: Fungal Biofilms with David Andes
Candida albicans is the most common fungal infection of humans. C. albicans can cause superficial infections like thrush or vaginitis when it overgrows within healthy individuals, but it causes much more serious disease when it infects immunocompromised individuals. C. albicans can form a matrix-encased biofilm on indwelling medical devices that serves as a source to seed systemic infections in patients. Dr. David Andes is a professor at the University of Wisconsin and also the chief of Division of Infectious Disease who studies fungal infections. Dr. Andes talks about the problem of fungal biofilms and antifungal...
2019-04-25
47 min
microTalk
Trivia About Chlamydia: Sexually Transmitted Disease with Mary Weber
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease in the U.S. Chlamydia infections in women can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, and in the worst cases ectopic pregnancy or sterility. C. trachomatis are obligate intracellular bacteria, which has made studying the genetics of virulence particularly difficult. Dr. Mary Weber is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa who studies C. trachomatis. Dr. Weber talks about some of the difficulties studying this unusual obligate intracellular bacterium, how recent advances are providing hope for new therapeutics and vaccines, why antibiotics are not sufficient...
2019-03-28
55 min
microTalk
Zebrafish in the Time of Cholera: Vibrio cholerae with Brian Hammer
Vibrio cholerae causes a severe gastrointestinal illness that leads to massive fluid loss that can be fatal. These bacteria are normally found in the marine environment, but they can spread rapidly through human populations and cause large epidemics. V. cholerae are able to coordinate their activities by “talking” to each other through quorum sensing, and to eradicate competitors through a harpoon-like appendage that stabs and kills other bacteria. Dr. Brian Hammer is an associate professor at Georgia Institute of Technology who studies V. cholerae and its ability to coordinate activities with its friends and kill off...
2019-03-07
1h 00
microTalk
Urinary Commentary: UTIs and Proteus mirabilis with Karine Gibbs
Proteus mirabilis is a common cause of Urinary Tract Infections. These bacteria are found within the gastrointestinal tract, but they are sometimes able to ascend the urinary tract and cause bladder infections. One of the amazing attributes of Proteus is its ability to crawl across Petri dishes, referred to as swarming. Dr. Karine Gibbs is an associate professor at Harvard University who studies Proteus mirabilis and its ability to cause urinary tract infections. Dr. Gibbs talks about how the bacteria interact with their neighbors using both a sword to kill adversaries as well as a handshake to...
2019-02-20
53 min
microTalk
The Scoop on Whoop: Bordetella with Jeff Miller
Dr. Jeff Miller has been studying Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium that causes whooping cough in humans, for over three decades, and he keeps uncovering novel aspects of the pathogenesis of this organism. B. pertussis still causes outbreaks of human disease, and Dr. Miller has unraveled in amazing detail the signal transduction system that leads to whooping cough. Dr. Miller is a professor at the University of California Los Angeles, the director of the California NanoSystems Institute, past-president of the American Society for Microbiology, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr...
2019-02-08
1h 04
microTalk
Tiptoe Through the Crypto: Cryptococcus with Paul de Figueiredo
The devastation of the immune system that occurs during AIDS renders patients highly susceptible to a number of infections that a functioning immune system can easily control. One of the most common infections in AIDS patients is Cryptococcosis, caused by a fungus. Cryptococcus neoformans can infect immunocompromised individuals through the lungs and cause a potentially fatal meningitis. Dr. Paul de Figueiredo is an associate professor at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on the interaction of host cells with microbial pathogens, including Cryptococcus neoformans. Dr. de Figueiredo talks about why AIDS patients ar...
2019-01-16
46 min
microTalk
Giant Viruses, Rickettsia, and Whipple, Oh My! A Discussion with Didier Raoult
Dr. Didier Raoult considers himself a “microbe fisher”, always “fishing” to discover new microbes. He says that in order to fish successfully, you need to first create the correct fishing pole (tools), and then fish in places where no one else is fishing. Dr. Raoult is the Director of the Mediterranean Infection Foundation at the Aix-Marseille University, France, and he has “caught” a number of unique microbes over the course of his career, including giant viruses. He’s also “caught” a number of bacteria responsible for various diseases, including the causative agent of Whipple’s disease, and he even...
2019-01-03
1h 12
microTalk
Native Alaskan Perspectives in Microbiology with Kat Milligan-Myhre
Dr. Kat Milligan-Myhre was raised in a remote Alaska Native community above the Arctic Circle, and was the first person from her village to obtain a PhD. in biological sciences. She is now a faculty member at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. Her research focuses on determining the extent that host genes control host-microbe interactions, utilizing the stickleback fish. Dr. Milligan-Myhre talks about the difficulty of maintaining her Native Alaskan cultural identity during her time in the “lower 48” studying microbiology, why stickleback fish are a great model for understanding how the host shapes the microbiota, how “code switching” allows he...
2018-12-18
1h 09
microTalk
Undone by Fungi: Mucormycosis with Ashraf Ibrahim
There are increasing numbers of people with immunocompromised conditions that make them more susceptible to a variety of diseases, including fungal diseases. A group of fungi in the order Mucorales can cause a potentially fatal disease called Mucormycosis in immunocompromised and diabetic individuals. This is a rare disease that is difficult to treat and that has a very high fatality rate. Dr. Ashraf Ibrahim is a professor at the University of California Los Angeles and an expert on Mucormycosis. Dr. Ibrahim talks about why Mucormycosis cases are increasing, why there are not very many treatment...
2018-12-04
46 min
microTalk
There’s a Germ in my Worm: Bacterial-driven Metamorphosis with Nick Shikuma
Many organisms metamorphose from a larvae into an adult, for example a caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly, but some animals require bacteria in order to undergo this transition. This amazing bacterial-stimulated morphological transition is fairly widespread among different marine animals, like sponges, corals, and sea urchins, but in most cases it is not understood. Dr. Nick Shikuma is an Assistant Professor at San Diego State University who studies the interaction of the bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea with the tubeworm Hydroides elegans. Dr. Shikuma talks about how the bacteria produce a harpoon-like factor called a tail...
2018-11-06
53 min
microTalk
Public Health in the Time of Cholera: Enteric Disease Intervention with Christine Marie George
Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae that can spread among human populations in large epidemics when water quality is poor. Dr. Christine Marie George is an Associate Professor in the department of International Health and Environmental Health Engineering at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health who works to improve health in developing countries, including Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in Native American communities in the U.S. Dr. George talks about how the drive to prevent cholera and other enteric diseases in Bangladesh led...
2018-10-24
48 min
microTalk
Let’s Veto Mosquitoes: A Discussion About Malaria with Gunnar Mair
The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, is transmitted to people through mosquito bites. The parasite needs to infect humans to undergo the morphologic transitions important for its lifecycle, but it also needs to infect mosquitoes to be able to complete its lifecycle. Dr. Gunnar Mair is an Assistant Professor at Iowa State University who studies mosquito-borne transmission of malaria. Dr. Mair talks about why breaking the transmission cycle by focusing on mosquitoes will help reduce global malaria, how a multi-pronged approach is necessary to eradicate this disease, how public health efforts coordinating drug administration have been effective, some of...
2018-10-09
59 min
microTalk
Babbling Bacteria: Quorum Sensing with Marvin Whiteley
Bacteria talk to each other using molecules that allow them to coordinate group behaviors, which has been termed “quorum sensing”. A number of bacteria utilize quorum sensing to form gangs that coordinate beneficial behaviors such as symbiotic light production, as well as detrimental behaviors such as attacking their host. Dr. Marvin Whiteley is a Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology who studies bacterial chatter. He has developed some innovative means to investigate bacterial chitchat, including trapping small clusters of bacteria in tiny synthesized “lobster traps” to see what kind of dialogue ensues. Dr. Whitele...
2018-09-25
58 min
microTalk
Coral Reefs in Crisis! A Discussion with Rebecca Vega-Thurber
The magnificent coral reefs of the world are dying! These fantastic underwater living structures that support entire ecosystems are undergoing massive die-offs that have decimated coral reefs all over the globe. Tropical coral reefs rely on a symbiosis between the coral polyp and a photosynthetic algae, and when this symbiosis is disrupted, the coral reef undergoes “bleaching” and ultimately dies. Dr. Rebecca Vega-Thurber is an Associate Professor at Oregon State University who has devoted her research career to studying coral reefs. Dr. Vega-Thurber talks about how climate change is driving the death of coral reefs, how...
2018-09-10
1h 13
microTalk
Viruses from Heaven and Hell: A Discussion with Ken Stedman
Earth’s most abundant biological entities are viruses, and they can be found everywhere where there are living organisms, including extreme (hellish) environments with e.g. low pH, high temperature, etc. Dr. Ken Stedman is a professor at Portland State University and one of the founders of the Center for Life in Extreme Environments. Dr. Stedman studies viruses from hellish environments like acidic boiling hot springs at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Dr. Stedman talks about how studying viruses in extreme environments can give insights into the evolution of life on earth, whether a virus is actu...
2018-08-30
1h 07
microTalk
Flip-flops and Surfboards made from Algae? Renewable algae-derived biomaterials with Steve Mayfield
Dr. Steve Mayfield is a professor at the University of California San Diego and the Director of the California Center for Algae Biotechnology. Algae are amazing microorganisms, and Dr. Mayfield says that the more you know about algae, the more you like them. Algae are extremely important to life on earth: they changed the atmosphere of the planet to contain oxygen and allow everything else to live here, they still do the bulk of photosynthesis on earth, converting sunlight and CO2 into biological material, and they are the basis of the petroleum we use. Dr. May...
2018-08-14
58 min
microTalk
Disease Expertise with the Big Cheese: CDC Deputy Director Anne Schuchat
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on the front lines of the war against infectious diseases, and Anne Schuchat, M.D. has been the Deputy Director of CDC since 2015. She has been at the CDC since 1988 and has served in a variety of leadership roles, including stints as the acting director in 2017 and 2018. Dr. Schuchat has played key roles in a number of emergency responses by the CDC, including the bioterrorist attacks in 2001, the SARS outbreak in 2003, and the H1N1 outbreak in 2009. She has worked all over the world combatting a number of infectious disease threats...
2018-07-31
49 min
microTalk
Mr. CRISPR, Kevin Doxzen, Discusses the Revolutionary Gene Editing Technology
Kevin Doxzen is a science communications specialist at the Innovative Genomics Institute in Berkeley, CA, associated with Dr. Jennifer Doudna. The Institute specializes in gene editing using CRISPR/Cas. The CRISPR/Cas system evolved as a bacterial defense against virus attack, but it has been exploited primarily to manipulate the genomes of eukaryotes. CRISPR/Cas has already revolutionized gene editing, and has led to the creation of a large number of modified animals, which has led to ethical questions about human genome manipulation. Dr. Doxzen talks about how CRISPR/Cas evolved, the various applications that...
2018-07-14
52 min
microTalk
The Wrath of Maria: Puerto Rican Microbiologists Discuss Post-Hurricane Science
Puerto Rico suffered a direct hit from the devastating hurricane Maria in September 2017, which destroyed the power grid and caused mass destruction across the island. Recovery has been slow, and Puerto Rican scientists have suffered from the after-effects in their research activities. Dr. Greetchen Diaz is the Director of Educational Programs at Ciencia Puerto Rico, Dr. Bejamin Bolaños is a professor of mycology at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Marcos Ramos Benitez is a Ph.D. student at the University of Puerto Rico, and Dr. Zomary Flores is a Professor at t...
2018-07-02
54 min
microTalk
Content in Cement: Julie Maresca Discusses the Concrete Microbiome
Julie Maresca is an associate professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware. Concrete is the most commonly used building material in the world, and is a very unique dry, high pH environment with special chemical properties. Amazingly, there are microbial communities that live within concrete. Dr. Maresca talks about these trapped communities of microbes, whether they are dormant or growing, whether microbes could be added to make concrete stronger, how some bacteria can thrive in conditions where there are no apparent nutrients, and how the thrill of discovery drove her to be a...
2018-06-19
47 min
microTalk
Mycology Loquacity: Carol Kumamoto Gets Candid about Candida
Carol Kumamoto is a professor of microbiology at Tufts University. She studies Candida albicans, the most common fungal pathogen of humans. C. albicans is a normal commensal of the human body, and it typically does not cause any harm to people, but rather lives happily among the other microbes e.g. within the intestine. However when the host becomes immunocompromised, C. albicans will invade tissues and cause a life-threatening infection. Dr. Kumamoto talks about how C. albicans’ interactions with the other microbes within the body influences its virulence, the difficulty of developing antifungals that don’t harm...
2018-05-30
44 min
microTalk
Prevent What’s Preventable: Vaccine Preventable Diseases with Cherise Rohr-Allegrini
Cherise Rohr-Allegrini is the program director at the Immunization Partnership, whose goal is to improve vaccination rates in San Antonio and across Texas. Every year millions of people suffer and die from vaccine-preventable diseases. The Immunization Partnership strives to increase vaccination rates through education and advocacy. Dr. Rohr-Allegrini talks about how the success of vaccines has ironically contributed to the rise of the anti-vax movement, how the way scientists talk about vaccines is important to increase vaccination rates, the autism-vaccine controversy, the tantalizing approach of polio eradication, and her background in studying vector-borne diseases in...
2018-05-21
1h 07
microTalk
You Gotta Be Squidding Me! A Discussion with Ned Ruby
Ned Ruby is a professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa who pioneered the study of a fascinating bacterial-squid symbiosis. The bacterium Vibrio fischeri colonizes the light organ of the squid Euprymna scolopes and produces light, which helps the squid avoid predation and provides the bacteria a protected place to thrive. Over the course of several decades, Dr. Ruby, along with Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, have illuminated the complex and elegant interactions between the bacteria and the squid. Dr. Ruby talks about what a symbiosis is, how V. fischeri can count how many friends are...
2018-05-08
52 min
microTalk
Do the Bugs in your Gut Cause Parkinson’s Disease? A Discussion with Sarkis Mazmanian
Sarkis Mazmanian is a professor at California Institute of Technology who studies how the gut microbiome influences the development and function of the nervous system, the “Gut-Brain Axis”. Dr. Mazmanian has discovered that the microbiome influences the development of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disease caused by the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain that affects motor function. Dr. Mazmanian talks about the evidence that the gut microbiome influences PD, implications of this research for the diagnosis and treatment of PD, the involvement of the microbiome in other neurological conditions, and people freezing away their poop f...
2018-04-24
1h 07
microTalk
Bugs in Space! High School Students Send a Microbiology Experiment on the ISS
Students at Southside High School (San Antonio) sent a microbiology experiment up to the International Space Station (ISS). The experiment was designed to look at growth and spore forming ability of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in microgravity. B. dendrobatidis causes chytridiomycosis, a devastating disease that has been decimating amphibian populations around the globe. High school students Lydia, Neco, and Carlos were concerned about the health of frogs and salamanders, and wanted to see if microgravity could inhibit B. dendrobatidis from replicating. The students discuss the process of getting an experiment onto the ISS with Dr. Bob McLean of Texas...
2018-04-09
52 min
microTalk
It’s a Fungal Jungle Out There! A Discussion with Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk
Dr. Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, where she studies the fungus Candida albicans and its interactions with the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. C. albicans is a normal commensal fungus and S. aureus is also a common human commensal, but both are also opportunistic pathogens of humans. Fungi and bacteria are separated by several billion years of evolution, and yet Dr. Jabra-Rizk is studying how these organisms communicate with each other and team up to enhance their virulence. Dr. Jabra-Rizk talks about fungal-bacterial coinfections, the difficulty of effectively treating polymicrobial infections, and...
2018-03-27
54 min
Aufwachen!
Furchenlos
Dienstag, 20. März 2018, 17:21 UhrOlaf Scholz hat sein Team zusammengestellt. Sein einer Staatssekretär kommt von Goldman Sachs, der andere hat für Wolfgang Schäuble die “schwarze Null” erfunden. Wir nennen ihn also einfach Olaf Schäuble und reden mit der Berliner Juso-Vorsitzenden Annika Klose über das dahinter verschwindende Große-Ganze der SPD. Ansonsten: Viele Nachrichten heute. Hans Jessen begrüßt den Frühling mit Herbstgedichten, wir informieren uns über die Verstrickungen Russlands in London, Putins Wahl und Merkels Worte in den Fernsehstudios. Danke für eure Audiokommentare. Wir danken unseren Produzenten Matthias, Alexander, Kevin, Konstanti...
2018-03-20
5h 39
Aufwachen!
Furchenlos
Dienstag, 20. März 2018, 17:21 UhrOlaf Scholz hat sein Team zusammengestellt. Sein einer Staatssekretär kommt von Goldman Sachs, der andere hat für Wolfgang Schäuble die “schwarze Null” erfunden. Wir nennen ihn also einfach Olaf Schäuble und reden mit der Berliner Juso-Vorsitzenden Annika Klose über das dahinter verschwindende Große-Ganze der SPD. Ansonsten: Viele Nachrichten heute. Hans Jessen begrüßt den Frühling mit Herbstgedichten, wir informieren uns über die Verstrickungen Russlands in London, Putins Wahl und Merkels Worte in den Fernsehstudios. Danke für eure Audiokommentare. Wir danken unseren Produzenten Matthias, Alexander, Kevin, Konstanti...
2018-03-20
5h 39
microTalk
Time for Lyme: A Discussion About Lyme Disease with Dr. Steve Norris
Dr. Steven Norris is a Professor at the University of Texas Health Houston, where he studies Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S. and it can lead to lifelong debilitating conditions, including arthritis and neurological symptoms. Dr. Norris has been studying B. burgdorferi for many years in his laboratory, and investigated various aspects of how this organism causes disease in infected hosts, including its motility, surface proteins, and plasmids. Dr. Norris discusses everything you ever wanted to know about Lyme disease, including...
2018-03-12
1h 00
microTalk
There’s Another Fungus Among Us! With Dr. Andrew Alspaugh
Dr. Andrew Alspaugh is a physician and Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Alspaugh is a mycologist, which means he studies fungi. Fungi typically cause serious and sometimes fatal disease in immunocompromised people. It is difficult to treat and prevent fungal diseases in these patients, due to their poorly functioning immune systems. Dr. Alspaugh is doing research on Cryptococcus neoformans, a common fungal infection of HIV-infected individuals. Dr. Alspaugh discusses fungal infections and the development of treatments and cures, his involvement in training mycologists at Woods Hole in Massachusetts, and how physician-patient interaction influences the...
2018-02-27
38 min
microTalk
Allan Hall Distills Down the Art of Fermentation
Allan Hall is the lead distiller at Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling, a “brewstillery” located in San Antonio that makes handcrafted beer and whiskey. Beer brewing is applied microbiology utilizing the fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ferment sugars that produce alcohol. Allan talks about the history of brewing and fermentation, the challenges of being an independent craft brewery, the science behind distilling whiskey, beer brewing around the world, and finding his love for science on the big island of Hawaii. The MicroCase for listeners to solve is about Corky Kettle, a volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center with...
2018-02-13
1h 01
microTalk
Ticks and Sandflies Suck!
(Blood, That Is) and Transmit Diseases, Too! Dr. Mary Ann McDowell is an Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Joao Pedra is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. McDowell studies the parasitic disease Leishmaniasis, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of a sandfly. Pedra studies Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis, which are bacterial diseases that are transmitted to humans through the bite of a tick. The sandfly and tick vectors play an essential role in the lifecycle of these human pathogens, and both McDowell’s and Pedra’s resea...
2018-01-30
40 min
microTalk
The Promise of Stem Cells: Travis Block Communicates Science
Travis Block Communicates Science: the Promise of Stem Cells Dr. Travis Block is senior scientist at StemBioSys, Inc., a biotech company working on stem cell biology, and also the president of San Antonio Science, an organization that promotes science awareness. Dr. Block talks about the promise of stem cell research in treating various diseases, including cancers and degenerative diseases, and the challenges of developing technologies that can be affordable and useful for everyone. Dr. Block discusses ethical issues associated with stem cell research, whether humans can live forever, and how important it is for scientists to communicate...
2018-01-16
50 min
microTalk
Inside the Hot Zone: A Discussion of Ebola Virus and BSL4 containment with Anthony Griffiths and Ricardo Carrion
Dr. Anthony Griffiths and Dr. Ricardo Carrion are scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute who work on some of the most dangerous viruses in the world under Biological Safety Level 4 (BSL4) containment. BSL4 is the highest form of biological containment that is required for viruses that have a high level of lethality and for which there is no cure. The ebola virus caused a huge outbreak in Western Africa in 2014 that led to over 11,000 deaths, and when an ebola-infected patient arrived in the United States it led to widespread panic. Dr. Griffiths and Dr. C...
2018-01-02
55 min
microTalk
Talking Bioscience with Hizzoner: A Discussion with Mayor Ron Nirenberg
Ron Nirenberg is the mayor of San Antonio, the seventh largest city in the U.S. San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities, and bioscience is a major driver of the economy. Mayor Nirenberg talks about the importance of bioscience to the economy, and how the universities, military medicine, and private entities in San Antonio are critical components of the bioscience sector. He discusses with Ann Stevens, the President of BioMedSA several issues, including global warming, protection of the largest concentration of mammals in the world (Bracken bat cave), ways to stimulate the bioscience community...
2017-12-21
1h 04
microTalk
David Blehert sends out the Bat Signal: White Nose Fungus is Among Us!
Dr. David Blehert is the Branch Chief of the Wildlife Disease Diagnostic Laboratories with the U.S. Geological Survey, and a world expert on White Nose Syndrome (WNS). WNS is a fungal disease that is decimating American bat populations. The fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, infects hibernating bats and disrupts their hibernation, leading to high levels of mortality, close to 100% in some caves. Dr. Blehert is working to study this fungus and come up with treatments and cures for American bat populations before it is too late. He is joined by Jonah Evans, who with Texa...
2017-12-08
1h 01
microTalk
Cdiff Infections and Fecal Transplants with Jimmy Ballard
Dr. Jimmy Ballard is professor and chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Ballard is an expert on Clostridia-related diseases, and specifically disease caused by C. difficile, or “Cdiff.” Cdiff infections result from heavy antibiotic usage, and can cause serious and even fatal disease. One of the most successful treatments for Cdiff infection is a fecal transplant, where fecal bacteria from a healthy donor are transplanted into the patient. Dr. Desh Sharma is a gastroenterologist who performs fecal transplants on his patients with Cdiff infections. Dr. Ball...
2017-11-20
55 min
microTalk
Beware of bloodsuckers! What’s the buzz about mosquitoes?
Dr. George Dimopoulos is a Professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Helen Lazear is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Dr. Dimopoulos studies mosquitoes, those pesky insects that annoy people by biting them and sucking their blood. But they also spread a number of diseases, including malaria and dengue virus. Dr. Dimopoulos is developing various clever ways to prevent mosquitoes from transmitting diseases to humans. Dr. Lazear studies the Zika virus, which is also spread by mosquitoes and has been recognized as a cause of brain defects in infants when it...
2017-11-06
45 min
microTalk
Parasites, Vampire Bats, and Science, Oh My! A Discussion with Dan Riskin
Dr. Dan Riskin is the host of the Animal Planet show about parasitic infections, Monsters Inside Me, and he also hosts a nightly science show broadcast in Canada, The Daily Planet. Dr. Riskin studied vampire bats while earning his Ph.D., and to this day is still bat crazy. His career promoting science for general audiences and his entertaining and enthusiastic personality have led him to be a guest on various late night talk shows, and he is the author of the book “Mother Nature is Trying to Kill You”. Dr. Riskin discusses various topics ranging from his bot fly...
2017-10-23
58 min
microTalk
Science Not Silence: A Discussion with Jonathan Berman, March for Science Organizer
Jonathan Berman is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, and also one of the organizers for the March for Science. The March for Science was an amazing global phenomenon that occurred on April 22, 2017, where people all over the world participated in local marches in support of science. He discusses the genesis of this movement, the politicization of science, how to combat fake information on the internet, dealing with feedback through social media, and his favorite joke when he was a stand-up comedian. The MicroCase for listeners to solve is about Helen Wheels, a high...
2017-09-08
56 min
microTalk
There’s a Fungus Among Us!
Dr. Damian Krysan is a physician and an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Krysan studies fungi, which in addition to their known roles in e.g. food spoilage and alcohol fermentation, can cause significant disease in humans. Fungi typically cause serious and potentially fatal disease in immunocompromised people, which presents a challenge to the medical community to come up with ways to treat and prevent fungal infections in this population. Dr. Krysan is doing research to identify new anti-fungal medications. Dr. Krysan discusses fungi and fungal infections, the difficulty of identifying new anti-fungal drugs...
2017-04-28
40 min
microTalk
Sick as a…plant? Yep, plants get viruses too
Dr. David Bisaro is a Professor at the Ohio State University. Dr. Bisaro studies plant viruses, which are a major source of economic loss for farmers. Plants, just like humans, can be infected with viruses, but unlike humans they don’t have antibodies and immune cells to fight off virus infections. This can be devastating for farmers who can lose large amounts of their crops from plant viruses. Dr. Bisaro studies how plants can survive virus infections by their own type of immune system, which suppresses the virus once it gets inside the plant. Dr. Bisaro discusses how plants pr...
2017-04-24
43 min
microTalk
Extra! Extra! Hear All About It! Science Reporting in the Age of Fake News
Dr. Alex Berezow is a science reporter, he works with the American Council on Science and Health to report on scientific discoveries and current issues. He discusses some of the difficulties associated with reporting on science to an increasingly skeptical and/or distrusting general public. In the era of fake news, conspiracy theories, and the internet, it has become increasingly difficult for scientists to convey the importance of their research, and the benefit to society. Alex discusses how the internet both supports and undermines science, how to restore the public’s trust in scientists, and what he would be do...
2017-03-13
40 min
microTalk
Whoop Whoop! The Pertussis Vaccine
Whooping cough, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, is an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal disease for infants. We rarely see this disease anymore because everyone is routinely vaccinated against it with the DPT childhood vaccine. But there has lately been a resurgence in whooping cough cases, caused primarily by a reformulation of the vaccine to make it safer, which unfortunately also made it less protective against this disease. Dr. Rajendar Deora is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Wake Forest University. Dr. Deora’s research involves improving the whooping cough vaccine. Dr. Deora is studying how to...
2017-03-03
37 min
microTalk
Murderous Microbes: The Type Six Secretion System
Dr. Stefan Pukatzki is a Professor of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Colorado in Denver. Dr. Pukatzki studies Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes the human disease cholera. Cholera is a dangerous water-borne disease that rapidly spreads through human populations in large epidemics. Dr. Pukatzki discovered that V. cholerae has a stabbing device, the Type Six Secretion system, that it uses to inject poisons into surrounding bacteria to kill them off and gain a competitive advantage. This stabbing device is wide-spread through many types of bacteria, illuminating the violent interactions that regularly take place among microbes. Dr...
2017-02-24
38 min
microTalk
Gnarly! The Surfer Biome Project
Mr. Cliff Kapono is a PhD student at the University of California San Diego. The human body is covered with trillions of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa), and these microbes produce lots of different chemicals that affect humans in many different ways. Kapono’s thesis studies are based on the idea that surfers spend a lot of time in the ocean, so their microbiomes are likely influenced by all the marine microbes and chemicals. Kapono is systematically studying the microbial communities found on surfers around the world, to discover the signature of a surfer biome. Kapono is an avid su...
2017-02-21
33 min
microTalk
Blood-sucking Disease: Malaria and the Microbiome
Dr. Nathan Schmidt is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Louisville. Dr. Schmidt studies the parasite that is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes malaria, Plasmodium. Malaria is a prevalent parasitic disease around the globe that is estimated to kill up to 500,000 people every year. Dr. Schmidt is interested in how the microbiome, which are the bacteria that are naturally found in the gut, influence the ability of a host to resist being infected with malaria. Dr. Schmidt discusses malaria parasites, mosquitoes, and eradication efforts. Discussants (in alphabetical order): Dr. Evelien...
2016-12-21
38 min
microTalk
Selenium for the Millenium: A Whooping Trace Element
Dr. Girish Kirimanjeswara is an Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Kirimanjeswara studies bacteria that cause disease in humans, and how the immune system fights against these microbes. Selenium is a trace element that is found naturally in various environments, and Dr. Kirimanjeswara has become interested in the involvement of selenium in infectious disease. Dr. Kirimanjeswara discusses trace elements, whooping cough, as well as his former life as a veterinarian, and the importance of vaccination. Discussants (in alphabetical order): Dr. Neal Guentzel (Professor and Parliamentarian of STCEID, UTSA)
2016-12-15
40 min
microTalk
California Cows in Crisis: Epizootic Bovine Abortio
Dr. Jeffrey Stott is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Stott studies the cause of an unusual tick-borne disease localized in cattle in California. Epizootic Bovine Abortion is caused by bacteria that cannot be grown in the laboratory, which has hampered the development of vaccines against this disease that leads to up to 5-10% of all cattle abortions in California. Dr. Stott discusses the search for an effective vaccine, as well as his interest in studying diseases in sea mammals like sea lions and dolphins. Discussants (in alphabetical order):
2016-11-14
33 min
microTalk
The Superbug Crisis: Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Dr. Mike Gilmore is the Sir William Osler Professor of Ophthalmology, and Microbiology and Immunobiology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Gilmore is the director of the Harvard-wide Program on Antibiotic Resistance, and his research focuses on the evolution and development of multidrug resistant strains of enterococci, staphylococci, and streptococci. The world is facing a serious health crisis with the increasing prevalence of multidrug resistant superbugs; the CDC estimates that there are 2 million infections and 23,000 deaths each year in the U.S. due to antibiotic resistant bacteria. Dr. Gilmore discusses how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, what scientists are doing...
2016-10-28
47 min
microTalk
Shining a Light on Diabetes: New Developments in Treating Diabetic Vision Loss
Dr. Timothy Kern is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Case Western Reserve University and director of the Center for Diabetes Research. His research is focused primarily on determining what causes retinopathy in diabetes patients and how to prevent it. His laboratory is identifying how hyperglycemia causes retinopathy, and discovering new treatments that may inhibit the loss of vision in diabetes. In this episode, he talks about how to control blood sugar, new diabetes treatments, and what keeps him working long hours in the lab. Discussants (in alphabetical order): Dr. Astrid Cardona (Associate...
2016-10-24
17 min
microTalk
Global Health Starts Locally
Mr. Jason Rosenfeld, assistant director of global health at University of Texas Heath Science Center at San Antonio is the first speaker of Microtalk. He is a public health professional with over 10 years of experience designing, implementing and evaluating international health and development programs, with a specific focus on community based water, sanitation and hygiene education and behavior change. In this episode, Jason shares his global health experiences in Africa, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and how local health clubs can combat global health problems. He also discusses Zika virus, the crisis of antibiotic resistance, and how his family...
2016-09-20
38 min