Matters Microbial

Matters Microbial #142: What We Still Don't Know About Yeast
November 3, 2026 Today Dr. David Krause, Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, joins the quality quorum to discuss how his undergraduate research laboratory explores the evolution of budding yeast and anaerobiosis.
Host: Mark O. Martin
Guest: David Krause
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Links for this episode
A very good overview of the work of Dr. Esther Lederberg.
A link to an overview of the endlessly enthusiastic Dr. Ali Nazmi. 
 A link describing how the word "microbiology" was translated appropriately into Māori.  It was a group effort.
An earlier episode of this podcast, featuring Dr. Will Ratcliff and his discussion of how multicellularity may have evolved, using yeast as a model system.
An overview of the organism that we call "yeast."
More about "budding yeast."
Yeast and anaerobiosis.
 The evolution of yeast.
Another article on the topic of yeast evolution.
The model system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
An overview of Kluyveromyces lactis (so called "dairy yeast").
An overview of Brettanomyces, a "spoilage yeast" of interest to Dr. Krause and his laboratory crew.
Siderophores and iron acquisition.
Pulcherrimin, a red iron binding compound found in many yeasts under anaerobic conditions.
How pulcherrimin may be involved in competitiveness in mixed populations.
An article about pulcherrimin mentioning Dr. Krause.
An article coauthored by Dr. Krause on the synthesis of pulcherrimin.
A useful article about the evolution of anaerobic growth in yeasts, by Dr. Krause.
The faculty website of Dr. Krause.
Intro music is by Reber Clark
Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

Matters Microbial #141: How Tardigrades Survive What We Do To Them
October 20, 2026 Today Dr. Molly Jane Kirk, postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UC Santa Barbara, joins the quality quorum to discuss her research fascination with the biology and resilience of a microscopic multicellular eukaryote, the famous tardigrade.
 
Host: Mark O. Martin
Guest: Molly Jane Kirk
Download MM141 (40 MB MP3, 66 mins)
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Links for this episode
Here is a link to ASM's "Agar Art" program, where participants create art by "painting" with bacteria.
Here is a link to some of the luminous art projects by Dr. Hunter Cole.
Here is a link to some of the luminous art projects by Dr. Siouxsie Wiles.
Here is a link to a #LuxArt session I did recently at the University of Texas Austin.
A wonderful overview of tardigrades.
A video presentation about tardigrades.
An overview of organisms that possess multiple extremophilic traits: polyextremophily.
The concept of cryptobiosis in tardigrades.
A recent review article on tardigrade genomics and responses to stress.
An overview of how  tardigrades enter dormancy or the "tun" state. 
An article on the evolution of tardigrades.
A video overview of DIC microscopy.
A book that describes how physics works for very small organisms.
An essay on hypergravity and biology.
The concept of biological vitrification and intrinsically disorder proteins.
An overview of the nervous system of tardigrades.
An article on the imposter syndrome, of great interest to Dr. Kirk.
Here is a preprint of an article on the imposter syndrome, authored by Dr. Kirk. 
A preprint by Dr. Kirk and colleagues, describing how tardigrade biology makes it resilient to physical damage. 
A description of the NIH K99 grant program,  awarded to Dr. Kirk to transition into a faculty position.
The laboratory of Dr. Joel H. Rothman, the postdoctoral advisor of Dr. Kirk.
Dr. Kirk's fascinating website.
Intro music is by Reber Clark
Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

Matters Microbial #140: Out of Many, One — Coral and Jellyfish Holobionts
October 7, 2026 Today Dr. Monica Medina, Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA, joins the quality quorum to discuss how organisms are made up of myriad other organisms—the holonbiont concept.  Dr. Medina and her research group focus on studying this in jellyfish and coral.
 
Host: Mark O. Martin
Guest: Monica Medina
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Links for this episode
A link to my host city in New Zealand, Christchurch.
A link to the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch New Zealand.
The website for the laboratory of Dr. Tom Miller of UC Riverside.
A recent video exploring the holobiont concept.
A recent article describing how the holobiont concept is involved in coral biology.
A recent review article describing the holobiont concept.
The life cycle of the cnidarian Cassiopia xamachana used by Dr. Medina's research group as a model system.
A book chapter from Dr. Medina describing the use of Cassiopia xamachana as a cnidarian model system for symbiosis and holobiont studies.
A video description of how to raise Cassiopia xamachana from a member of Dr. Medina's research group.
An article from Dr. Medina's research group discussing the microbial community of the holobiont of coral.
An article from Dr. Medina's research group discussing the coral-algal symbiosis.
An article about Dr. Medina and colleagues' work on ancient coral DNA to study the holobiont concept over time.
A video of Dr. Medina discussing her research.
A link showing Dr. Medina's interest in the intersection between art and science.
A link showing Dr. Medina's interest in the intersection between coral art and science.
A very informative Wikipedia page about Dr. Medina.
A link to Dr. Medina's research group website.
A link to Dr. Medina's faculty website.
Intro music is by Reber Clark
Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

Matters Microbial #139: How Listeria Gets By With a Little Help From Its Friends
September 23, 2026 Today Dr. Jasna Kovac, Huck Chair in Microbiomes in Food Safety and Associate Professor of Food Science at Penn State University (and active member of Penn State's One Health Microbiome Center) joins the quality quorum to discuss how understanding the microbiome in food processing facilities can help reduce the incidence of food borne illnesses, including Listeria.
Host: Mark O. Martin
Guest: Jasna Kovac
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Links for this episode
Here is an overview of Listeria as a microbe.
Here is an overview of Listeria pathogenesis.
A video showing "actin rockets" moving Listeria around inside of a eukaryotic cell. 
Overview from the CDC regarding Listeria.
Prior #MattersMicrobial podcast about Listeria by Dr. Lisa Gorski.
An overview of microbial food safety issues.
Description of the cantaloupe associated Listeria outbreak.
Description of the caramel apple Listeria outbreak.
An overview of whole genome sequencing as a diagnostic tool.
A video description of MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) relationship between microbes and antimicrobials.
 An overview of biofilms.
A prior #MattersMicrobial podcast about biofilms with Dr. Matthew Fields.
The One Health Concept linking many aspects of everyday life to microbiology.
A description of Sanger 16S rRNA sequencing.
An overview of MPN (most probably number) analysis in microbiology.
A video describing the very useful LIVE/DEAD dye approach in microbiology.
Microbiology and sanitizers.
An overview of EPS (extracellular polysaccharides).
Description of SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms).
An overview of the lineages of Listeria.
A description of Dr. Kovac's approach to precision food safety.
A nice description of Dr. Kovac's evaluation of tree fruit processing plants described in this podcast.
A wonderful video presentation by Dr. Kovac.
Dr. Kovac's academic website.
The research laboratory website for Dr. Kovac and colleagues.
Intro music is by Reber Clark
Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

Matters Microbial #138: Sightseeing the Microbial World
September 8, 2026 Today Dr. Monika Oli, Instructional Professor of the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida joins the quality quorum to discuss how she teaches microbiology students to view the topic through a global lens as a study abroad program. Her approach demonstrates how travel enriches scientific understanding, broadens cultural perspectives, and prepares students to become globally engaged microbiologists equipped to address the challenges of an interconnected world.
 
Host: Mark O. Martin
Guest: Monika Oli
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Links for this episode
Here is a link to some basic history of microbiology.
A nice biography of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.
A truly wonderful video about Leeuwenhoek that is SO worth your time.
A description of the "Leeuwenhoek Microscope." 
A website that explains how you can build a replica of this famous instrument.
An overview of the Delft school of microbiology.
A biography of Martinus Beijerinck (an amazing microbiologist).
The website of Micropia, the microbiology focused museum in Amsterdam.
A fun article about the "tardigrade chair" at Micropia I discussed.
An article about "microbial tours."
The CEPA company that helps to create academic tours.
An overview of experiential learning.
The story of Ignaz Semmelweis.  
A description of the abbey where Gregor Mendel did his work with pea plants.
A biography of Karl Stetter.
An amazing video featuring Karl Stetter.
The famous book, "The Little Prince," by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry which can be linked to microbiology.
How some UNESCO Heritage sites are related to microbiology.
The fermented food kimchi and its microbiological origin.
The microbiology of sourdough bread.
A video by Dr. Oli describing the ideas behind her microbial tours.
A microbiology themed tour program by BYU.
An ASM biography of Dr. Oli.
The faculty website of Dr. Oli.
Intro music is by Reber Clark
Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com