What crosses the line?

Kicking off with a real-world nerve-agent assassination, this episode takes a closer look at the cell membrane—the thin, dynamic boundary that keeps a cell intact without shutting it off from the world.

We explore how phospholipids, cholesterol, and proteins work together to create a structure that's both flexible and remarkably resilient.

Hosted by Michael McNeil.

Cover art: “Transfer RNA and Gag Protein, 2021” by David S. Goodsell, Scripps Research and RCSB Protein Data Bank. doi: 10.2210/rcsb_pdb/goodsell-gallery-037

Follow Curiosity on Instagram (www.instagram.com/newwaytowonder) and YouTube (youtube.com/@curiosityeducation), and share your thoughts and burning science questions with our host by emailing contact@mdmcneil.com.

0:00 - Introduction

3:52 - Where Does the Cell Begin?

8:06 - A Boundary Under Pressure

14:51 - Phospholipids and the Bilayer

21:00 - Cholesterol and Membrane Fluidity

26:22 - Adapting to Heat and Cold

35:51 - Membrane Proteins

41:45 - The Fluid Mosaic

What's it like to dive into a cell? In Part 2 of our exploration of eukaryotes, we get up close and personal.

Hosted by Michael McNeil.

Guest voices: Tiffany Aleman, Deja Fleming, Adrianna Graulau, Josee Ishimwe, Grace Odondi, and Jordan Reid.

Cover art: "Chloroplast, 2011" by David S. Goodsell. doi: 10.2210/rcsb_pdb/goodsell-gallery-010

To explore the cell even more, check out the work of the Allen Institute at https://alleninstitute.org/division/cell-science/. View David Goodsell's illustrations at https://pdb101.rcsb.org/sci-art/goodsell-gallery.

Follow Curiosity on Instagram (www.instagram.com/newwaytowonder) and YouTube (youtube.com/@curiosityeducation) and share your thoughts and burning science questions with our host by emailing contact@mdmcneil.com.

0:00 - Part 0: Introduction

1:14 - Part 1: The Nucleus, Nucleolus, and Nuclear Bodies

5:28 - Part 2: Ribosomes and Ribosome Biogenesis

8:26 - Part 3: The Endomembrane System (Endoplasmic Reticula, Golgi Bodies, Lysosomes, Vesicles, and Vacuoles)

31:22 - Part 4: The Cytoskeleton (Microtubules, Microfilaments, Intermediate Filaments, Centrosomes, and Transport Proteins)

46:15 - Part 5: Peroxisomes and Reactive Oxygen Species

48:53 - Part 6: Chloroplasts, Mitochondria, and the Endosymbiotic Theory

Welcome to Curiosity Minisodes—where we tackle high-order questions from high-yield topics in 10 minutes or less.

Today, we’re exploring a few features of the four classes of biomolecules.

Hosted by Michael McNeil.

Follow Curiosity on Instagram (www.instagram.com/newwaytowonder) and YouTube (youtube.com/@curiosityeducation) and share your thoughts and burning science questions with our host by emailing contact@mdmcneil.com.

Welcome to Curiosity Minisodes—where we tackle high-order questions from high-yield topics in 10 minutes or less.

Today, we’re digging into basic biological functional groups.

Hosted by Michael McNeil.

Follow Curiosity on Instagram (www.instagram.com/newwaytowonder) and YouTube (youtube.com/@curiosityeducation) and share your thoughts and burning science questions with our host by emailing contact@mdmcneil.com.

Welcome to Curiosity Minisodes—where we tackle high-order questions from high-yield topics in 10 minutes or less.

Today, we’re digging into the properties of water.

Hosted by Michael McNeil.

Follow Curiosity on Instagram (www.instagram.com/newwaytowonder) and YouTube (youtube.com/@curiosityeducation) and share your thoughts and burning science questions with our host by emailing contact@mdmcneil.com.

Welcome to Curiosity Minisodes—where we tackle high-order questions from high-yield topics in 10 minutes or less.

Today, we’re digging into biological classification.

Hosted by Michael McNeil.

Follow Curiosity on Instagram (www.instagram.com/newwaytowonder) and YouTube (youtube.com/@curiosityeducation) and share your thoughts and burning science questions with our host by emailing contact@mdmcneil.com.

Why does taxonomy matter—and what can it teach us about our place among life on Earth? In Part 1 of our two-part exploration of eukaryotic cells, we unpack the history of classification, from Aristotle to Linnaeus to us, and take a closer look at how emergence supports the intricacy and complexity of our experience of life.

Hosted by Michael McNeil. Special thanks to T. Aleman, A. Graulau, J. Ishimwe, and J. Reid.

Cover art: "Autophagy, 2011" by David S. Goodsell and Daniel Klionsky. doi: 10.2210/rcsb_pdb/goodsell-gallery-012

Follow Curiosity on Instagram (www.instagram.com/newwaytowonder) and YouTube (youtube.com/@curiosityeducation) and share your thoughts and burning science questions with our host by emailing contact@mdmcneil.com.

0:00 - Part 0: Introduction

1:50 - Part 1: Biological Emergence

7:07 - Part 2: History of Biological Classification

25:13 - Part 3: Eukaryotic Taxonomy

Earth is home to an estimated 10 million forms of life, but we can't see most of them with our own eyes. In today's episode, we'll take a peek behind the curtain. We'll explore the bizarre structures, lethal defenses, and fascinating mating habits of bacteria. And we'll finally get introduced to archaea, the newest, oddest, and least understood members of the family tree.

0:00 - Part 0: Introduction

5:56 - Part 1: General Prokaryotic Features

• Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes
• Morphological Diversity
• Cell Wall Characteristics
• Cell Membranes, Lipopolysaccharide, and Lipid A

26:02 - Part 2: Gram Staining

• The Gram Stain Protocol
• Gram Staining Insights

34:23 - Part 3: Additional Prokaryotic Structures

• Capsules and Tonicity
• Endospores
• Fimbriae
• Pili
• Non-Flagellar Locomotive Structures
• Flagella and Taxis

51:30 - Part 4: Prokaryotic Growth and Metabolism Considerations

• Autotrophs, Heterotrophs, Chemotrophs, and Phototrophs
• Aerobes vs Anaerobes

53:32 - Part 5: Prokaryotic Reproduction and Gene Exchange

• Binary Fission
• Transduction
• Transformation
• Conjugation

1:04:34 - Part 6: Bacteria vs Archaea

• The First Archaebacteria
• Difficulties in Studying Archaea

Correction

- At 34:49, Michael misspoke. Capsules connect to peptidoglycan in Gram-positive bacteria and to the outer cell membrane in Gram-negative bacteria, not the other way around.

Special Thanks

- University of Wisconsin-Madison

- U.S. National Park System

- T. Aleman, J. Ishimwe, J. Wilson, and A. Graulau

Cover Art

"Escherichia coli Bacterium, 2021" by David S. Goodsell, RCSB Protein Data Bank. doi: 10.2210/rcsb_pdb/goodsell-gallery-028