Monday, November 1, 2010

BacterioFiles Micro Edition 18 - Predators Provoke Prokaryote Prey

This episode: Bacteria smell predators and cluster together for protection!

Download Episode (2.5 MB, 2.75 minutes)

Show notes:
Journal paper

Other interesting stories:
**Bacteria as part of self-healing concrete
**Making sunscreen from bacteria
**How old are viruses?
**Paper on how probiotics may work
**Insect-borne plant pathogen may eat its insect carrier

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or SciencePodcasters.org

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

BacterioFiles Micro Edition 13 - Formidable Filaments Found


Attention! BacterioFiles is now an official podcast of MicrobeWorld.org, a site run by the American Society for Microbiology. Check out the page at microbeworld.org/bacteriofiles.

This episode: Discovery of (rather pretty) giant archaea!
Image credit: Muller et al.


Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or SciencePodcasters.org

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Monday, August 23, 2010

This Week in Virology - 1% Scope?

Usually the podcast This Week in Virology is focused on viruses that make us sick (that's the tagline for the show, even), but this episode was somewhat unusual. It was live from the meeting of the American Society for Virology, with some special guests. The first half of the show, especially, was about how probably only 1% of viruses actually cause disease, and many of the remaining 99% may be beneficial. The focus was on plants, which was pretty interesting, but there was talk about animal viruses as well. I recommend it to any microbe lovers!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

BacterioFiles Micro Edition 1 - Bacteria Boost Buzzing Babies

Trying something new: Micro Edition! One story, put out when there is an interesting new item. This episode: Bacteria protect fruit flies from parasites!


Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or SciencePodcasters.org

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Monday, July 12, 2010

How Microbes Defend and Define Us

Check out this article in the New York Times about the human microbiome. It has a lot of really interesting information, some of which I'm sorry I missed including in the podcast. It's written by Carl Zimmer, science writer and host of the very good Meet the Scientist podcast, so you know it's quality material.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 16


In this show, I report on four exciting stories: birthing method affecting babies' bacteria, soil microbes affecting forest ecology, endophytes producing useful compounds, and manipulating gut bacteria for health.


**Electricity-producing bacteria improved with light

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or SciencePodcasters.org

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 15


In this show, I report on three exciting stories: how viral invasions might've shaped human evolution, how bacteria are good for the immune system, and using viruses for medicine. Plus, biofuels special extravaganza!



Download Episode (10.4 MB, 11.5 minutes)

Download Sections:
Intro
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Special
Ending Comments

Show notes:
Story 1: News item/Journal paper
Story 2: News item/Journal Paper
Story 3: News item/Journal Paper
Biofuels Special: 1 2 3 4 5

Other interesting stories:
**Underground microbiology
**Oral bacteria could protect against respiratory infections

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or SciencePodcasters.org

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 14

In this show, I report on four exciting stories: microbial electrosynthesis, desert dust that affects ocean microbes, bacteria dividing unequally, and bacteria that can make you smarter.


(Image credit: Matthias Christen)


Download Episode (13.2 MB, 14.5 minutes)

Download Sections:
Intro
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Story 4
Ending Comments

Show notes:
Story 1: News item/Journal paper
Story 2: News item/Journal Paper
Story 3: News item/Journal Paper
Story 4: News article 1/News article 2

Other interesting stories:
**More about microbes and the BP oil spill

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or SciencePodcasters.org

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 13


In this show, I report on four exciting stories: bacteria made to clean up pesticides, new findings from microbial fossils, fighting bacteria with bacteria, and cells with synthetic genomes.

(Image credit: Tom Deerinck and Mark Ellisman of the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research at the University of California at San Diego)


Download Episode (13 MB, 14 minutes)

Download Sections:
Intro
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Story 4
Ending Comments

Show notes:
Story 1: News item 1/News item 2/Journal paper
Story 2: News item/Journal Paper
Story 3: News item/Journal Paper
Story 4: News articles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7/Journal Paper/Video

Other interesting stories:
**New method for studying metabolism of microbial communities
**Making bricks out of bacteria and sand
**Op-ed about the potential for life on Earth unrelated to the life we know
**Study about biocathodes for microbial fuel cells
**Yeast used for wine could be good for bioethanol too
**Article about bacteria and clean fuel production
**How adding good bacteria to soil could help wheat grow
**Soil microbes may "breathe" organic matter as well as minerals
**Cheese seems like a good carrier for probiotics for elderly
**Quick-evolving bacteria may be good for digestive health
**Human microbiome project stories: 1 2 3
**Bacteria share genes more with family
**Genes of bacteria that are good for plant growth
**Gut bacteria of tsetse fly could help prevent sleeping sickness

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or SciencePodcasters.org

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 12


In this show, I report on four exciting stories: interesting organisms found living in acid, purple bacteria's efficiency in capturing light, a cocaine overdose treatment from bacteria, and comparing E. coli to Linux.

(Image credit: Yale, PNAS)


Download Episode (13.3 MB, 14.6 minutes)

Download Sections:
Intro
Current Event
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Story 4
Ending Comments

Show notes:
Current Event: News item 1/News item 2/News item 3
Story 1: News item/Journal paper
Story 2: News item/Journal Paper
Story 3: News item/Journal Paper
Story 4: News item 1/News item 2/Journal Paper

Other interesting stories:
**Fear of Earthly microbes contaminating Mars
**Where oil comes from
**Fossils on Earth give hints about finding Martian life
**How probiotics are used more than they are known to work
**Fighting brain cancer with viruses
**A company that makes "solar panels" filled with microbes
**How soil microbes shouldn't be as bad for global warming as was thought
**How gut microbes affect bowel health
**A plant virus that now infects vertebrate animals
**Probiotics help premature infants
**How some marine bacteria can use sunlight too
**How gut microbes can affect celiac disease

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or SciencePodcasters.org

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 11



In this show, I report on four exciting stories: a probiotic bacteria that can fight cancer, bacteria in dust that affect asthma, microbes living in a lake of asphalt, and a census of marine microorganisms.



(Image credit: Dirk Schulze-Makuch)


Download Episode (13.4 MB, 14.75 minutes)

Download Sections:
Intro
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Story 4
Ending Comments

Show notes:
Story 1: News item/Journal paper
Story 2: News item/Journal Paper
Story 3: News item 1/News item 2/Submitted Paper
Story 4: News item 1/News item 2/Slideshow

Other interesting stories:
**Plant fungal disease that uses different tactics depending on which part of the plant it’s infecting
**Using microbes to clean up groundwater pollution
**The Navy investigating ways to use microbes to power small devices
**A species of bacterium that produces lots of hydrogen gas
**Using a microbe to protect grapes from grey mold
**Study about how probiotics may not help Salmonella food poisoning
**Paper about recently-discovered salt-loving archaea found in the human intestine
**Eukaryotic plankton in the ocean actually incorporate a lot of carbon dioxide into their cells
**Article describing the job of planetary protection officer for NASA

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 10


In this show, I report on four exciting stories: bacteria for digesting sushi; a giant virus that replicates itself, with help; microbes living in Mars-like lakes; and using viruses to generate hydrogen.

(Image credit: Russell Knightley/SPL)

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Awesome Microbe Video, and Virus Podcast

Watch Man-Controlled Bacteria Build A Nanoscale Pyramid



Here's a link to an article on it.
---------------
Also, if you want to listen to an incredibly interesting podcast about viruses, go here:

Meet the Scientist: Curtis Suttle - It's a Virus World and We Just Live On It

It includes such tidbits as "If all the viruses in the ocean were placed end to end, they would stretch 7 million light years." Wow.
---------------
Episode 9 comes out next weekend. Stay tuned.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 8


In this show, I report on four exciting stories: a plant-fungus symbiosis, making algae make medicine, fighting cancer with a virus, and making biofuels out of wood scraps.

(Image credit: Beth Rasala, UCSD)

Download Episode (8 MB, 9 minutes)

Download Sections:
Intro
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Story 4
Ending Comments

Show notes:
Story 1: News item
Story 2: News item/Journal paper
Story 3: News item 1/News item 2/Journal paper
Story 4: News item/Journal paper

Other interesting stories:
**A bleeding glacier
**The search for quantum behavior in viruses

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

BacterioFiles Episode 7


In this show, I report on five exciting stories: a bacterial electric grid, engineering biofilms, beewolves that use antibiotics, tiny bacterial magnets, and microbial life's potential on Mars.

(Image credit: Johannes Kroiss and Martin Kaltenpoth, MPI for Chemical Ecology, Jena)