Matters Microbial #73: Seeing the Microbiome

January 9, 2025

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

Download MM#73 (39.5 MB mp3, 66 min)
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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

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