Today, Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai of the California Institute of Technology, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her philosophy of the future of biology. Dr. McFall-Ngai has been described as “…a recognized thought leader regarding the cornerstone role microbiology plays in the life sciences.” I could not agree more.
Today, Dr. Mark Mandel, Professor of Medical Microbiology & Immunology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the research his laboratory group does exploring how the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri finds its way into its symbiotic partner, the Hawai’ian Bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes. It will be an enlightening podcast!
Today, Dr. Roberto Kolter, Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at Harvard University (and past President of the American Society for Microbiology), joins the Quality Quorum to discuss his life long interest in microbes and microbiology, and how best to present microbiology to the public.
Today, Dr. Michael Schmidt of This Week in Microbiology and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology of the Medical University of South Carolina, joins the Quality Quorum (at a special “live audience” podcast session at the American Society for Microbiology in Atlanta, Georgia) to discuss his fascinating work with copper as an antimicrobial agent.
Today, Dr. Kimberly Walker, Assistant Professor and Director of Medical Diagnostics at the University of Delaware, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her interesting path in microbiology, from pathogenic bacteria, to predatory microbes, to Congress, to science policy, and then to educating others about medical diagnostics.
Today, Dr. Roland Hatzenpichler of Montana State University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the central importance of archaea to our knowledge of the microbial world, ranging from history of their study, misconceptions about archaea, the microbiological bounty of Yellowstone National Park, and how ancient archaea may be the Asgard like ancestors of us all.
Today, Jessica Buchser, graduate of West Chester University and entering PhD student at Pennsylvania State University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss being an older student, how social media and podcasts fueled her interest in the microbial sciences, and her future path as a microbiologist!
Today, Dr. Esther Angert of Cornell University joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the role her research collaborators have had studying truly gigantic bacteria, and the adaptations these enormous microbes must make to their size!
Today, Dr. Jo Handelsman of the University of Wisconsin Madison and Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the work she and her research collaborators do on interactive microbial communities, using THOR (the hitchhikers of the rhizosphere) as a model system. She will also remind us how vital soil is to our lives.
Today, Dr. Geo Santiago-Martinez, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology and Microbiology at the University of Connecticut joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss the mysteries of the archaeal world, and how one group of these organisms produce methane gas as a byproduct of metabolism. These methanogens are thus involved in climate, symbioses, biotechnology, and even astrobiology!