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Meet the Microbiologist

Podcast Meet the Microbiologist

AI and the Future of Science, Discovery and Trust

August 14, 2026 | Podcasts

Stanley Maloy and Jack Gilbert unpack AI’s power, potential and pitfalls for microbial science research, from manuscripts to microbial ethics and public trust.

The Value of Curiosity-Driven Research: Mechanism Discovery With Glen McGugan

May 11, 2026

Glen McGugan, Ph.D., Director of ��’s Mechanism Discovery Unit, discusses how curiosity‑driven research—from parasite virulence to CRISPR and complex microbial systems—drives tomorrow’s breakthrough.

Diagnostics in Action: Telling Microbial Stories

April 17, 2026 | Podcasts

Andrea Prinzi, Ph.D., and Rodney Rohde, Ph.D., share how passion‑driven, nonlinear paths in clinical microbiology shaped their careers—and inspired a mission to make science relevant and approachable.

Decoding the Pneumococcal Capsule With Moon Nahm

March 27, 2026 | Researcher

Moon Nahm, M.D., discusses his career in pneumococcal immunology—from hidden serotypes to MOPA—advancing functional antibody testing and enabling more protective, accessible vaccines.

From Earth to Orbit: Applied and Environmental Microbiology With Veronica Garcia

February 13, 2026 | Researcher

Scientific Director Veronica Garcia, Ph.D., goes inside the �� AEM unit and highlights how microbes drive real-world applications in areas like food and water systems.

Unraveling Introns and Expectations With Marlene Belfort

January 23, 2026 | Podcasts

Marlene Belfort, Ph.D., shares her journey in science, balancing family and career and discusses her trailblazing discovery of introns in bacteriophage.

The Gut Healing Power of Microbes and Cruciferous Vegetables

October 24, 2025 | Podcasts

Sue Ishaq, Ph.D., explores how gut microbes convert broccoli compounds into anti-inflammatory agents, and how age, diet and cooking shape microbiome science and health outcomes.

Preventing Foodborne Pathogens With Plant-Derived Compounds

September 25, 2025 | Graduate-Student

Karl Matthews, Ph.D., Professor of Microbial Food Safety at Rutgers University, discusses the importance of food safety measures for fresh fruits and vegetables from farm to table.

Early Microbial Life: Our Past, Present and Future

August 22, 2025 | Graduate-Student

Michael Lynch, Ph.D., and Vaughn Cooper, Ph.D., examine origins of early microbial life and discuss how advanced technologies and capabilities could drive future, groundbreaking progress in science.

How FMTs, Coprophagia and the Milk Microbiome Inform Wildlife Conservation With Sally Bornbusch

July 15, 2025 | Higher-Education-Educator

Sally Bornbusch, Ph.D., NSF postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian National Zoo discusses FMTs to mitigate health concerns in wild animals in captivity, the science of eating poo and milk microbiomes.

Agnostic Diagnostics and the Future of �� Health With Dev Mittar

May 30, 2025 | Clinician

Dev Mittar, Ph.D., Scientific Director of the �� Health Scientific Unit, introduces agnostic diagnostic technology and shares how �� Health is empowering scientists to improve lives worldwide.

Implementing a National Action Plan to Combat AMR in Pakistan With Afreenish Amir

May 09, 2025 | Podcasts

Afreenish Amir, Ph.D., AMR Project Director, NIH in Pakistan, highlights increases in extensively drug-resistant microbes in Pakistan and describes development of a National Action Plan to combat AMR.

Discovering Fossilized Microbes in Antarctic Ice Cores With Manuel Martinez Garcia

March 14, 2025 | Podcasts

Manuel Martinez Garcia, Ph.D., a professor of microbiology at the University of Alicante in Spain, analyzes genomic signatures of microorganisms frozen in ice cores from the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf.

Revenge of the Microbes - With Brenda Wilson and Brian Ho

January 20, 2025

Brenda Wilson, Ph.D., and Brian Ho, Ph.D., authors of the 2nd edition of Revenge of the Microbes: How Bacterial Resistance is Undermining the Antibiotic Miracle, discuss the inspiration and motivation for their book and provide a unique perspective on what is needed to solve the growing AMR crisis.

Binning Singletons With Joseph James

January 06, 2025 | Podcasts

Joseph James, biologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, discusses his career trajectory and the creation of Binning Singletons, a unique mentorship program built on peer-to-peer networking.

Biorisk Assessment and Management With Saeed Khan

November 11, 2024 | Podcasts

Saeed Khan, Ph.D. President of the Pakistan Biological Safety Association, highlights key steps for biorisk assessment and management, stressing the importance of training, timing and technology.

From Hydrothermal Vents to Cold Seeps: How Bacteria Sustain Ocean Life With Nicole Dubilier

September 27, 2024 | Researcher

Nicole Dubilier, Ph.D., Director at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, discusses the unique microbial symbioses that support life in some of the ocean's most extreme environments.

When Proteins Become Infectious: Understanding Prion Disease With Neil Mabbott

August 23, 2024 | Podcasts

From Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Neil Mabbott, Ph.D., studies the mechanisms by which prion proteins become infectious and cause neurological disease.

Trillion Dollar Microbes Make the Bioeconomy Go Round With Tim Donohue

May 28, 2024 | Industrial-Microbiologist

�� Past President and University of Wisconsin Foundation Fetzer Professor of Bacteriology, Timothy Donohue, calls genomics a game-changer in the potential of microbes to create renewable resources.

Rabies: The Diabolical Virus With Many Symptoms and Hosts With Rodney Rohde

May 07, 2024 | Podcasts

Rodney Rohde talks about the many variants, mammalian hosts and diverse neurological symptoms of rabies virus.

Increasing Laboratory Capacity for TB Diagnosis With Aureliana Chambal

March 15, 2024 | Podcasts

��'s Young Ambassador, Aureliana Chambal, discusses the high incidence of tuberculosis in Mozambique and how improved surveillance can help block disease transmission in low resource settings.

Good Science, Bad Science and How to Make it Better With Fang and Casadevall

February 02, 2024 | Clinician

The scientific process has the power to deliver a better world, but when unethically performed it can cause confusion and division. We discuss good science, bad science and how to make it better.

Using AI to Understand the Gut-Brain Axis and Autism With James Morton

February 01, 2024 | Industrial-Microbiologist

James Morton, Ph.D., discusses how the gut microbiome modulates brain development and function with specific emphasis on how the gut-brain axis points to functional architecture of autism.

Atypical Metabolism of Leishmania and Other Protists With Michael Ginger

November 24, 2023 | Podcasts

The atypical metabolism and evolutionary cell biology of parasitic and free-living protists, including Leishmania, Naegleria and even euglinids.

IBS Biomarkers and Diagnostic Diapers With Maria Eugenia Inda-Webb

September 22, 2023 | Podcasts

Biosensors to diagnose and treat inflammatory disorders in the gut–how “wearables,” like diagnostic diapers and nursing pads could help monitor microbiome development to treat the diseases of tomorrow.

Think Fungus Early: Preventing Angioinvasion Via Early Detection With Gary Procop

September 01, 2023 | Podcasts

The importance of early detection and diagnosis in order to prevent fungal invasion leading to poor outcomes, particularly in immunocompromised patients.

Moldy Skin, Invasive Aspergillosis and the Rise of Candida auris With Shawn Lockhart

July 29, 2023 | Podcasts

From antifungal resistance to disaster microbiology, and tales of visible mold growing across the skin of patients following a tornado in Joplin, Mo., Dr. Shawn Lockhart (CDC) talks all things fungi!

Microbial Flavor Profiles for Bread and Wine Production With Kate Howell

July 14, 2023 | Podcasts

Dr. Kate Howell shares how microbes impact the flavor and aroma of food and beverages and shares how microbial interactions can be used to enhance nutritional properties of food and beverage sources.

AncientBiotics With Steve Diggle and Freya Harrison

June 02, 2023 | Podcasts

Dr. Steve Diggle, �� Distinguished Lecturer and Microbiology Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia and Dr. Freya Harrison, Associate Microbiology Professor at the University of Warwick in Coventry, U.K., discuss the science behind medieval medical treatments and the benefits of interdisciplinary research.

Invisible Extinction: The Loss of Our Microbes with Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello and Martin Blaser

April 13, 2023 | Podcasts

The race to prevent the loss of ancestral microbes and save the bacteria that contribute to human health and well-being.

The Self-Experimentation of Barry Marshall

February 07, 2023 | Podcasts

The career of Dr. Barry Marshall, the Australian physician who is best known for demonstrating in a rather unorthodox way that peptic ulcers are caused by the bacterium, Helicobacter pylori.

The Career of Tony Fauci

December 22, 2022 | Podcasts

The life and career of Tony Fauci, the scientist who has been recognized as America’s Top Infectious Diseases Doctor and “voice of science” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Françoise Barré-Sinoussi's Discovery of HIV

November 18, 2022 | Podcasts

The story of Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, the French, female scientist who discovered HIV and found herself at the heart of one of the most bitter scientific disputes in recent history.

Permafrost with Devin Drown

October 28, 2022 | Podcasts

Dr. Devin Drown of the Institute of Arctic Biology Genomics Core at the University of Alaska Fairbanks discusses how soil disturbance gradients in the permafrost layer impact microbial communities.

To Catch a Virus with Marie Landry and John Booss

October 17, 2022 | Podcasts

The past, present and future of diagnostic virology.

Outbreak Detection with Wun-Ju Shieh

September 30, 2022 | Podcasts

Dr. Wun-Ju Shieh, recounts experiences conducting high risk autopsies for the CDC and identifies factors contributing to the (re)emergence and spread of pathogens.

Lyme Disease Prevention and Treatment with Linden Hu

September 02, 2022 | Podcasts

New and ongoing research pertaining to the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of human Lyme disease.

Tardigrades and Microbial Midwives with Mark O. Martin

August 08, 2022 | Podcasts

Dr. Mark O. Martin discusses microbial centricity, bacterial predation, bioluminescence, tardigrades, microbial midwives and more

Shark Epidermis Microbiome with Elizabeth Dinsdale

May 20, 2022 | Podcasts

How shotgun metagenomics is being used to characterize the architecture of microbial communities living in the thin layer of underlying mucus on shark’s skin, and how understanding the function of these microbes is providing clues to important host-microbe interactions, including heavy metal tolerance.

Microbial Culture Collections and the Soil Microbiome with Mallory Choudoir

April 18, 2022 | Podcasts

Dr. Mallory Choudoir, microbial ecologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst shares how she leverages microbial culture collections to infer ecological and evolutionary responses to warming soil temperature

Neglected Tropical Diseases and Pandemic Prevention With Peter Hotez

October 28, 2021 | Podcasts

The global impact and historical context of neglected tropical diseases.

Vibrio Cholerae with Rita Colwell

June 10, 2021 | Podcasts

Rita Colwell describes some of her great discoveries in Vibrio cholerae, including evidence for its environmental niche and modeling to predict cholera outbreaks.

Life Science and Earth Science and Biogeomicrobiology with Denise Akob

November 12, 2020 | Podcasts

Denise Akob discusses her research in biogeomicrobiology combining life science and earth science to study both contaminated and pristine environments.

Powassan Virus and Tick Biology with Marshall Bloom

July 31, 2020 | Podcasts

Marshall Bloom talks about biosafety, his research on Powassan virus, and some history of the Rocky Mountain Labs.

Bioremediation of Oil Spills with Joel Kostka

May 19, 2020 | Podcasts

Joel Kostka discusses microbes and oil spills, including his studies of oil’s effect on microbial communities and where microbes can best degrade oil.

Arbovirus Evolution with Greg Ebel

April 23, 2020 | Podcasts

Greg Ebel discusses how West Nile virus evolves as it passes between different hosts, and how mosquitoes can be used for human health surveillance.

Managing Plant Pathogens Using Streptomyces with Linda Kinkel

March 26, 2020 | Podcasts

Linda Kinkel describes the important relationships between plants and microbes and her research on Streptomyces that protect against plant pathogens.

E. Coli and Burkholderia Vaccines with Alfredo Torres

March 02, 2020 | Podcasts

Alfredo Torres discusses the different types of E. coli and the methods his lab is using to develop vaccines against pathogenic E. coli and Burkholderia.

Placental Biology, Infection and Immunity with Carolyn Coyne

February 14, 2020 | Podcasts

Carolyn Coyne discusses placental biology and the immunological maternal-fetus interface that prevents congenital transmission of infectious microbes.

Coronavirus Antiviral Drug Discovery with Timothy Sheahan

January 31, 2020 | Podcasts

Timothy Sheahan describes his work on drug that can treat all coronaviruses, plus his work on the genetics of chronic hepatitis C virus.

Gastroenteritis Viruses with Mary Estes

January 10, 2020 | Podcasts

Mary Estes talks about her work on rotavirus and norovirus, including her discovery of the first viral enterotoxin and her current use of enteroid “minigut” models.

SAR11 and Other Marine Microbes with Steve Giovannoni

December 20, 2019 | Podcasts

Steve Giovannoni describes his work on SAR11, including what its nutrient requirements teach us about seawater and how its metabolic strategy is analogous to a house with the lights always on.

Prions and Chronic Wasting Disease with Jason Bartz

December 06, 2019 | Podcasts

Jason Bartz discusses his research on prions, stable misfolded protein conformations that cause spongiform encephalopathies in a variety of mammalian species.

Microbial Interkingdom Interactions with Deb Hogan

November 21, 2019 | Podcasts

Deb Hogan describes the interkingdom interactions between bacterium, fungus, and host that ultimately influence microbial evolution and host disease status.

Diagnosing C. diff Infections for Optimal Patient Outcomes with Colleen Kraft

November 18, 2019 | Podcasts

Why is C. diff such a serious disease and what are clinical microbiologists doing to improve patient outcomes with better diagnostic tools?

Antibiotic-Resistant Infections in Hospital Sinks with Amy Mathers

November 07, 2019 | Podcasts

Amy Mathers studies how drug-resistant bacteria can reside in hospital sinks and what simple steps make hospitals safer for patients.

Microbiome Diversity and Structural Variation with Ami Bhatt

October 24, 2019 | Podcasts

Ami Bhatt discusses her research on the human gut microbiome, from surveying microbiomes around the world to the role of the microbiome in cancer therapy.

Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Infections with Jorge Benach

October 11, 2019 | Podcasts

Jorge Benach discusses his research on Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections, including his role in identifying the Borrelia spirochetes.

Influenza Virus Evolution with Jesse Bloom

September 26, 2019 | Podcasts

Jesse Bloom discusses his research on influenza virus evolution, immunity and cooperation by studying influenza viruses at the human population, cell culture, and single cell levels.

Citrus Greening and the Microbiome in Diabetes with Graciela Lorca

September 13, 2019 | Podcasts

Graciela Lorca talks about her work on citrus greening disease and the role of the microbiome in diabetes development.

20 Years of the Lab Response Network with Julie Villanueva

August 30, 2019 | Podcasts

Julie Villanueva talks about Lab Response Network, an infrastructure designed to detect and stop the spread of biothreat agents and emerging infectious diseases.

Global Public Health with George F. Gao

August 15, 2019 | Podcasts

George F. Gao talks about his role as Director of China CDC, his structural virology research, and the importance of both basic and applied research.

Bacteriophage Interactions in the Gut with Jeremy Barr

August 03, 2019 | Podcasts

Jeremy Barr discusses his work on bacteriophage interactions with both bacteria and mammalian cells.

A Career in Salmonella with Stanley Maloy

July 19, 2019 | Podcasts

Stanley Maloy discusses his Salmonella research career from transposon mutagenesis through genomics studies to better understand bacterial biology.

The Cheese Microbiome with Rachel Dutton

July 03, 2019 | Podcasts

Rachel Dutton discusses how cheese microbiomes influence cheese properties and what scientists are learning from these robust microbial ecosystems.

Metagenomic Sequencing for Infectious Diseases Diagnostics with Charles Chiu

June 13, 2019 | Podcasts

Charles Chiu discusses his work to move metagenomic sequencing-based tests into the clinical microbiology lab for diagnosis of infectious disease.

Antimicrobial-Eating Microorganisms and the Resistome with Gautam Dantas

May 31, 2019 | Podcasts

Gautam Dantas discusses his serendipitous discovery of soil microorganisms that metabolize antimicrobial compounds and his subsequent work on the resistome.

Microbes, Heme, and Impossible Burgers with Pat Brown

May 16, 2019 | Podcasts

Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown discusses finding the right heme source, and how microbes help produce it, to create the Impossible Burger.

CRISPR, Anti-CRISPR, and Anti-Anti-CRISPR Systems with Joe Bondy-Denomy

May 02, 2019 | Podcasts

Joe Bondy-Denomy discusses the bacterial CRISPR systems that fight phage infection and the anti-CRISPR systems that phage counteract them with.

Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites with Bobbi Pritt

April 18, 2019 | Podcasts

Bobbi Pritt talks about what is wonderful about parasites and explains how her research on molecular tests helped identify 2 new bacterial species.

HPV Vaccination with Doug Lowy

April 05, 2019 | Podcasts

Doug Lowy talks about his career spanning basic human papillomavirus research through development of the HPV vaccine.

Burkholderia Pseudomallei & the Neglected Tropical Disease Melioidosis with Direk Limmathurotsakul

March 21, 2019 | Podcasts

Direk Limmathurotsakul talks about his work on the neglected tropical disease, melioidosis, and the importance of its improved case reporting.

Predicting Spillover Events with Barbara Han

March 08, 2019 | Podcasts

Barbara Han discusses her research predicting where outbreaks will occur and why using data-informed algorithms.

HIV Vaccines with Dan Barouch

February 21, 2019 | Podcasts

Dan Barouch lays out the unique challenges of HIV vaccine development and discusses the ongoing clinical trial with a vaccine developed in his lab.

Structural Biology Insights into Ebola Virus with Erica Ollmann Saphire

February 07, 2019 | Podcasts

Erica Ollmann Saphire discusses her research on Ebola virus glycoprotein and the changing nature of structural biology.

Our 100th Episode! A Retrospective into Meet the Microbiologist with Merry Buckley and Carl Zimmer

January 25, 2019 | Podcasts

We pull back the curtain as former show hosts Merry Buckley and Carl Zimmer talk Meet the Scientist origins, favorite interviews and microbial topics.

Microbial Engineering for Biofuels and Beyond with Wayne Curtis

January 11, 2019 | Podcasts

Wayne Curtis discusses engineering microbes for products like biofuel using the metabolically flexible bacterium Rhodobacter and other microorganisms.

Insect and Human Microbial Symbionts with Seth Bordenstein

December 30, 2018 | Podcasts

Hear how microbial symbionts affect the health of both insect and human hosts in the ecosystem known as the holobiont.

The Cool World of Glacial Microbiology with Christine Foreman

December 14, 2018 | Podcasts

Christine Foreman explains how microbes can survive and grow on glaciers, and what we can learn from microbes in glacier ice cores.

HIV Interaction with the Immune System with Mark Connors

November 30, 2018 | Podcasts

Mark Connors talk about 2 different patient populations able to control HIV pathogenesis via their T cell or B cell responses.

The Evolution of Virulence with Andrew Read

November 15, 2018 | Podcasts

Andrew Read tells of his work demonstrating that a non-sterilizing vaccine allows pathogens to become even more virulent.

Containing a Nipah Virus Outbreak with G Arunkumar

November 01, 2018 | Podcasts

A recent Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, India, was halted due to improved detection capabilities. G. Arunkumar tells the story of his involvement.

Biofilms and Metagenomic Diagnostics in Clinical Infections with Robin Patel

October 18, 2018 | Clinician

Robin Patel discusses her work on prosthetic joint infections and how metagenomics is changing infectious disease diagnostic procedures.

SARS and MERS Coronaviruses with Stanley Perlman

September 20, 2018 | Podcasts

How virus researchers studied SARS and MERS after they emerged and what they learned.

The Struggle to Study Hepatitis C Virus with Charlie Rice

May 11, 2018 | Podcasts

The history of learning to grow hepatitis C virus in culture, and yellow fever virus, its vaccine, and the importance of curiosity-driven research.

Tuberculosis Treatment and Mycobacterial Genetics with Bill Jacobs

March 15, 2018 | Podcasts

Developing mycobacterial genetic tools and using them to discover ways to shorten TB treatment

Working with the Microbes in Our Drinking and Waste Water with Marylynn Yates

February 02, 2018 | Podcasts

The urban water cycle and its importance in eliminating waterborne pathogens.

Insect-Pathogenic Fungi as Fertilizers and Mosquito Control With Raymond St. Leger

September 17, 2017 | Podcasts

Raymond St. Leger describes his work on insect pathogenic fungi.

Sending Yeast to the Moon With Jessica Lee

January 01, 0001 | Podcasts

Space microbiology, food safety and microbial food production in space and the impacts of microgravity and extreme radiation when sending Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the moon.

Podcast Meet the Microbiologist

Interdisciplinary Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance and Innovation (IMARI) Abstracts Due Soon

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