Agar is a crucial tool used daily in most microbiologists’ work. It’s the stuff that goes in Petri dishes for microbes to grow on. But many microbiologists are unaware of how this substance became so important in the field. A woman named Fanny Angelina Hesse played a significant role in this story, yet she remains largely unknown in microbiology. Dr. Corrado Nai is making it his mission to change this. In this episode, we chat about how he’s writing a graphic novel on the untold story of how Fanny Angelina Hesse introduced agar to the lab, and why it matters.

Topics covered in this episode:

• How Corrado got interested in microbiology, became a science writer, and is now creating a graphic novel about Fanny Angelina Hesse
• What agar is how microbiologists use it
• The story of Fanny Angelina Hesse and how agar became so important in microbiology
• How little-known Fanny Angelina Hesse is
• New historical material Corrado uncovered
• The upcoming graphic novel about Fanny Angelina Hesse
• At-home microbiology activity: Discovering the Microbial World: Create Your Own Agar Plates

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/fanny-hesse-corrado-nai/

AT-HOME MICROBIOLOGY ACTIVITY: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/create-agar-plates/

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JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

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Oysters can be risky to eat raw, but what microbes are actually responsible? Is there more to it than just chance? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Rachel Diner, Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis researching aquatic microbes, to find out.

Here, we discuss the hidden world of bacteria in oysters, exploring the roles these organisms play in the environment and their impact on human health. Our conversation digs into the complexities of Vibrio bacteria and the environmental conditions that influence their prevalence, but it’s also full of practical advice.

Listen to the episode to learn how there’s a lot more to the story when it comes to oysters and the bacteria they harbor.

Topics covered in this episode:

• How Rachel got interested in microbiology and became an Assistant Professor researching aquatic microbes at the University of Memphis
• How we get sick from oysters and what microbes are involved
• Can you tell if oysters will make you sick from smelling them?
• How does Vibrio get into oysters?
• How much Vibrio will make us sick?
• The roles of Vibrios in the environment
• How environmental factors (water temperature, salinity, and nutrient levels) influence the prevalence and virulence of microbes in oyster populations
• Are there certain times of year when it’s safer to eat oysters? (Only months that end in R)
• Rachel’s advice as a microbiologist when it comes to oysters
• Microbiology misconceptions
• Shifts in the field of non-model systems’ microbiomes
• At-home microbiology activity: Winogradsky columns (learn some helpful tips on running these columns)

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/oyster-microbiology-rachel-diner/

AT-HOME MICROBIOLOGY ACTIVITY: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/winogradsky-column/

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JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

SUPPORT JOYFUL MICROBE: https://ko-fi.com/joyfulmicrobe/

Can drinking alcohol impact our gut health? It sure can. Since our gut health is so crucial for our overall health, this episode focuses on the connection between alcohol consumption and the microbial component of our gut health, the gut microbiome. In this episode, I spoke with microbiology researcher Andrew Day about how alcohol disrupts the gut microbiome and mycobiome — the fungal community in the gut — causing changes that affect the body and brain.

We explore whether quitting alcohol can heal the gut and the potential of future therapies like probiotics or fecal transplants to aid recovery. Join us to learn about the gut microbiome’s surprising role in addiction and what science is uncovering about this complex relationship. By understanding these connections, we gain insight into the broader impacts of alcohol on health and behavior.

Topics covered in this episode:

• The role of fungi in the microbiome
• Impact of alcohol on the gut microbiome (and mycobiome)
• Recovery and microbiome restoration
• The gut microbiome and addiction
• The gut-brain axis and alcohol consumption
• Potential of microbial therapies for recovery: probiotics, prebiotics, fecal transplants
• At-home microbiology activity: Grow a biofilm

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/alcohol-gut-microbiome-andrew-day/

JOYFUL MICROBE TWITTER: https://twitter.com/joyfulmicrobe/

JOYFUL MICROBE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/justineldees/

SUPPORT JOYFUL MICROBE: https://ko-fi.com/joyfulmicrobe/