Today, Dr. Sam Díaz-Muñoz, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, as well as a Faculty Member of the Genome Center at the University of California Davis, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how their group, and a growing community of researchers, investigates the social lives of viruses: the many ways that viruses interact and the ways that interactions shape infections and viral evolution.
Today, Dr. Marcy Balunas, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, as well as part of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how her group investigates the chemical signals—the language—between host and microbe symbioses.
Today, Dr. Ben Wolfe, Associate Professor of Biology at Tufts University, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how he and his collaborators study novel food fermentations, helping the public understand more about the gut microbiome, and outreach projects involving microbially-associated food.
Today, Dr. Patrick Schloss, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Medicine at the University of Michigan, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how the human microbiome is studied, possible pitfalls in such data analysis, and what tools he and his coworkers have developed to lead toward repeatable, hypothesis-driven science.
Today, Dr. Nathan Algren, Associate Professor of Biology at Clark University, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the centrality of cyanobacteria to our biosphere, the viruses that prey upon them, and his interests in outreach and science-oriented art.
Today, Dr. Paul Carini, of the Environmental Science department of the University of Arizona, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how soil bacteria can become dormant, “wake up,” and why that is more relevant than you might suppose.
Today, Dr. Adam Lauring of the University of Michigan joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the job of a physician-scientist, RNA viruses, the tricks that influenza uses to create epidemics and pandemics, and the science behind flu vaccines.
Today is an unusual episode of the podcast. I am visiting four microbiologists in the Thermal Biology Institute at Montana State University of Bozeman, Montana. They discuss their work exploring the unusual microbes and environments to be found in Yellowstone National Park, ranging from the history of the park to opportunities for undergraduate students, as well as up-to-the-minute research done on the microbial denizens of this microbiological landmark.
Today, Dr. Cynthia Silveira of the Department of Biology at Miami University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her research team’s efforts to explore how bacterial viruses interact with their host cells from coral reefs to other planets! In addition, Dr. Silveira will discuss her microbiological path and a course she teaches on virology.
Today, Dr. Tracie Delgado of the Biology Department at Seattle Pacific University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her undergraduate research team’s explorations of how some herpesviruses can cause cancer . . . and how to use the host cell’s metabolism to fight those viruses!
