Podcasts about microbiology society

In this episode, Adam talks to Dr Georgios Efthimiou from the University of Hull.  Georgios has created a nationwide ‘spooky' short story competition called Coccus Pocus. This project links outreach and Halloween with microbiology.  This creative competition has had a clear impact on 12 – 18-year-olds who find the competition a good way to discover an interest in microbiology and have had a lot of fun writing the stories.  Join Adam as he learns more about this Microbiology Society-funded project (and you may hear from a few society staff members reading some of this year's winners along the way).

In this episode of Microbe Talk Clare spoke to Adam Aspinall who's Senior Director in the Access and Product Management team at Medicines for Malaria Venture. They discuss Malaria, antimalarial drug resistance and the work that Medicines for Malaria Venture is doing to support new drug discovery.If you'd like to find out more about the Microbiology Society's Knocking Out AMR project, you can do so here.If you'd like to find out more about the work that Medicines for Malaria do, take a look at their resources here: MMV website: http://mmv.orgSevere Malaria Observatory : severemalaria.orgMusic: Blue Dot Sessions - Blue Latex

Yesterday, we released our vision statement for Knocking Out Antimicrobial Resistance, the Society's new cross-disciplinary project. It outlined the key issues faced by the AMR community: the lack of understanding of the urgency of the crisis, a fragmented AMR landscape and a broken innovation pipelineSo for this special Knocking Out AMR episode of Microbe Talk Clare spoke to Professor Paul Hoskisson to pick his brain on his latest venture: a one million pound project to use food by-products make antimicrobial production more cost effective and sustainable.The Microbiology Society's Knocking Out AMR Vision statement can be found on our website here.Paul's Socials:Bluesky @paulhoskisson.bsky.socialTwitter @PaulHoskissonInstagram @paulhoskissonMusic by Yurii Semchyshyn from PixabayYou can read a full transcript of this podcast on our website. 

In this episode of Microbe Talk, Policy and Engagement Officer Katie chats to Dr Tina Joshi and Dr Catrin Moore, the Microbiology Society members leading on the Society's brand new antimicrobial resistance (AMR) project, Knocking Out AMR. In this episode, Katie, Tina and Catrin talk about what the new project is, how it came to be, and how people can get involved.If you are interested in opportunities for organisations to collaborate with the Microbiology Society, please email knockingoutamr@microbiologysociety.org or to register your individual interest please visit the Knocking out AMR webpage. To find out about the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @MicrobioSoc using the hashtag #KnockingOutAMR.You can follow Dr Catrin Moore on Twitter at @catmoore_1 and Dr Tina Joshi at @tinaljoshiMusic: ‘Relaxed Vlog (Night Street)' by Ashot Danielyan from PixabayYou can read the full podcast transcript here.

If you are interested in opportunities for organisations to collaborate with the Microbiology Society, please email knockingoutamr@microbiologysociety.org or to register your individual interest please visit the Knocking out AMR webpage. To find out about the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @MicrobioSoc using the hashtag #KnockingOutAMR. You can also read the latest edition of Microbiology Today here. To read Chloe's work published in Microbiology, visit our journals site. You can keep up to date with Chloe's public engagement work visit MICROBIhOME for general microbiology and AMR content and here for phage content. Chloe's work is funded by Knowledge for Change and BBSRC.Music: 'Origin' by Comma-Media via Pixabay. You can download a full transcript of the podcast on our website.

In this episode of Microbe Talk, our Policy and Engagement Officer Katie chats to Sir Paul Nurse, Director of the Francis Crick Institute and former President of the Royal Society. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of protein molecules that control the division of cells in the cell cycle and has since received over 70 honorary degrees. In this episode, Katie and Paul talk about the importance of collaboration and co-working in science, and discuss the UK's recent re-association with Horizon Europe, the EU funding programme for research and innovation.A full transcript of this episode is available on the Microbiology Society website.You can read the official Microbiology Society response to the UK's re-association with Horizon Europe, here.Music: Glossy by Yrii Semchyshyn from Pixabay

In this episode of Microbe Talk, Policy and Engagement Officer Katie chats to Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott OBE, President of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) about her career so far, the importance of international collaboration in science and our recent re-association with Horizon Europe.  A full transcript of this episode is available on the Microbiology Society website.Music: Minimal Inspiring Ambient by ComaStudio from Pixabay

Niamh and Andrew are interviewed by Clare Baker from the Microbiology Society about their editorial on AI in Microbial Genomics research. Editorial on AI: https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001049 Article for podcast: https://microbiologysociety.org/blog/microbe-talk-ai-a-useful-tool-or-dangerous-unstoppable-force.html

This year the Microbiology Society is hosting FIS (the Federation of Infection Societies (FIS) conference) in partnership with HIS and BIA. FIS is all about fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, so in this episode of Microbe Talk Clare speaks to Professor Elaine Coultman-Green, a microbiologist whose work spans clinical, lab, and patient-facing roles about the importance of collaboration across microbiology disciplines. If you're inspired by this conversation and want more information regarding FIS, you can find the details and information on how to register here.To find out more about the Society's Journal of Medical Microbiology which encourages the publication of cross-disciplinary research, please visit our website for more information about the scope and submission guidelines. To follow Elaine, she is @girlymicro. Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikova from PixabayYou can also read the transcript of the podcast here.

Are you looking for a microbiology career pick me up? Well look no further! On this special episode of Microbe Talk, Clare sits down with Microbiology Society member Dr Oliver Severn to discuss his experience of working in industry.Music: pixabay 'That science ambient' by Comma Studio.

This episode of Microbe Talk was recorded at our Annual Conference in Birmingham. For the very first time this year, we had an session entirely dedicated to science policy. In this episode, Katie and Clare chat with Dr Isobel Stanton, an invited speaker, and delegates that attended the session about how they found it and what they learned.A full transcript of this episode is available on the Microbiology Society website.Music: Blue Dot Sessions 'Dunder'

In our latest podcast, Clare and Microbiology Society member Jake Robinson discuss his new book Invisible Friends, the role of popular science books and how microbes can shape our lives and the world around us.To order Jake's Book visit pelagicpublishing.com/collections/co…42190054981803You can also keep up to date with Jake's work here: www.jakemrobinson.com and on Twitter @_jake_robinsonMusic: 'That Science Ambient' by ComaStudio on pixabayA full transcript of this episode is available on the Microbiology Society website.

In this episode of Microbe Talk, Policy and Engagement Officer Katie talks to Professor Martha Clokie about bacteriophages, how they can be used to treat infection and potentially even combat antimicrobial resistance.  You can read our full response to the government inquiry on the antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages, here.   A full transcript of this episode is available on the Microbiology Society website.Music: Blue Dot Sessions 'Blue Latex' 

In this festive episode of Microbe Talk, Charlotte speaks to Dr Lorna Lancaster about the harmful and helpful microbes involved in making Christmas food.A full transcript of this episode is available on the Microbiology Society website.microbiologysociety.org/blog/podcast-…s-dinner.htmlMusic: Free Music Archive 'Adeline Yeo (HP) - Tis The Season To Be Jolly'

In this special episode of Microbe Talk for Disability History Month, Charlie talks to Kirsty Jones about her experience of accessibility in labs.A full transcript of this episode is available on the Microbiology Society website.https://microbiologysociety.org/blog/podcast-disability-history-month.html Music: Blue Dot Sessions 'The Corner Office'

It's great to find a helpful learning resource. Here, I chat to the author of the book "Bacterial Genetics and Genomics", Prof Lori Snyder about the book, who it will be useful for and why this resource is different from others. About our Guest: Prof. Lori A. S. Snyder is a Professor in the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Chemistry at Kingston University, where she is involved in educating undergraduate and graduate students, as well as leading an active and collaborative research group. Prof. Snyder is also active in science outreach activities, including traveling lab visits, offering work experience to teenagers, and participating in public engagement events. Her research focuses on two main areas: combating antibiotic resistant infections and bacterial genetics and genomics. Her novel antimicrobials to stop infant blindness from multi-drug resistant bacterial infections have been featured in Wired (www.wired.co.uk/article/fight-against-super-gonorrhoea) and on the Sparks children's charity YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQUl5-kC1OQ). Her use of bacterial genome sequence data to uncover new information about pathogens was featured in an interview on the Thermo Fisher Scientific YouTube channel about use of their sequencing system (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ttuJ6l1hI&t=95s) and in 2013 her contributions were recognized by the Society for Applied Microbiology with the W H Pierce Prize (https://sfam.org.uk/resource/wh-pierce-2013-lori-snyder.html). Prof. Snyder was twice elected to the Prokaryotic Division committee of the Microbiology Society and services on the Editorial Board of its journal Microbial Genomics, as well as contributing by reviewing many research publications and grant applications.Find Prof Lori Snyder at: Twitter: @DrLoriSnyderSenior Editor: @CrumlyChuckPublisher: @CRCPressBook: https://www.routledge.com/Bacterial-Genetics-and Genomics/Snyder/p/book/9780815345695Book – missing content https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3-euw1-ap-pe-ws4-cws-documents.ri-prod/9780815345695/9780815345695_missing_content.pdfBook - support materials https://routledgetextbooks.com/textbooks/9780815345695/Find Microbe Mail at: Visit the Microbe Mail website to sign up for updates E-mail: mail.microbe@gmail.comTwitter: @microbemail Instagram: Microbe_Mail

In this episode of Microbe Talk, Charlie takes us on a behind the scenes tour of the Microbiology Society's Annual Conference preparations and talks to some staff members about this year's event. 

Watch out researchers! This week we have a special treat for you – we're joined by the one and only Elisabeth Bik! Our interview with her takes us into the wonders of how to expose fraudulent (or just sloppy) science. Elisabeth Bik is a Dutch-American microbiologist, whose specialty is spotting photo duplications in scientific publications. As a result of her efforts, hundreds of papers have been retracted due to evidence of misconduct. She's a founder of the Microbiome Digest Blog and the Science Integrity Digest Blog. Her work is also frequently featured on Retraction Watch and she's a regular contributor at PubPeer. She has received several prizes for her outstanding work in science popularisation and science integrity. In November 2020 she received the the Peter Wildy Prize by the Microbiology Society for communication of microbiology in education and to the public. In 2021 she was awarded two prizes, both very highly regarded by skeptics, the John Maddox Prize and the Ockham Award, both of which we reported on here on the ESP. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:50).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-22-21. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 25, 2021.  This episode is part of a series this fall about water connections to the human body and human biology.  We start this week with three mystery sounds, all related to a very numerous group of disease-causing, or pathogenic, microbes that have enormous impacts on human health.  Have a listen for about 20 seconds, and see if know this microbial group.  And here's a hint: big hits on social media are said to spread like this group. SOUNDS – ~19 sec If you guessed viruses, you're right!  You heard a person coughing due to a viral disease; handwashing, an important method of reducing viral transmission; and a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol, an effective disinfectant against many kinds of viruses.  With attention focused this fall both on the COVID-19 coronavirus and the annual influenza virus season, we explore in this episode some basic information about viruses and some viral connections to water.  Here are 10 key points about viruses. 1.  Viruses are one of four groups of microbes responsible for human disease, along with bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, which are single-celled animals.  As a group, viruses are the smallest of these microbes, although some are larger than some bacteria. 2.  Viruses aren't made up of cells, but instead exist as particles composed primarily of molecules of protein and nucleic acids, that is, DNA or RNA.  They require a cellular host for reproduction, called replication. 3.  Viruses are more abundant than all of the cellular-based living things on earth. 4.  All living things are infected by viruses. 5.  Viruses don't always cause disease in infected hosts, but many kinds do cause significant diseases in humans, other animals, and plants. 6.  Viral disease can result from viruses taking over or inhibiting their host's cellular biochemical processes, or by cell destruction as new virus particles exit cells after replication. 7.  Depending on their type, viruses can be spread through air, in water, from surfaces, by animal vectors, or through exchange of blood or other body substances. 8.  Water-related spread of viruses can occur through water contaminated with human waste, and through animal vectors connected to water, particularly mosquitoes. 9.  Significant human diseases from water-borne viruses include intestinal disease, particularly diarrhea; hepatitis, or liver inflammation; inflammations of the brain, spinal cord, or heart; and possibly cancer.  Viral diseases spread by mosquitoes include Yellow Fever, Dengue, West Nile, and others. And last, but not least, handwashing with clean water and soap is important for reducing the spread of viruses through objects and surfaces—collectively called fomites—with which humans come into contact. Thanks to Freesound.org user n__audioman for making the coughing sound available for public use.  Here's hoping we all hear less of that sound and more of the handwashing and other preventative measures that keep viruses—water-borne and otherwise—somewhat at bay. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Dr. Sally Paulson, Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, for her help with this article. The coughing sound was recorded by user n__audioman (dated December 14, 2015), and made available for public use by Freesound.org, online at https://freesound.org/people/n_audioman/sounds/331068/, under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0  For more information on Creative Commons licenses, please see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/; information on the Attribution License specifically is online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. The handwashing and alcohol spraying sounds were recorded by Virginia Water Radio on October 21, 2021. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES Female Aedes japonicus mosquito (also known as Ochlerotatus japonicas), photographed from a colony at Notre Dame University.  Photo by Frank Collins, accessed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Image Library, online at https://phil.cdc.gov/default.aspx; specific URL for this photo was https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=7886, as of 10-25-21.  According to CDC caption for this photo, this Asian mosquito, first collected in the United States in New York and New Jersey in 1998, is a suspected transmitter for West Nile virus. “Wash Your Hands in 24 Languages” poster from the Minnesota Department of Health, online at https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/handhygiene/wash/washyourhands.html. SOURCES Used for Audio John B. Carter and Venetia A. Saunders, Virology: Principles and Applications, Second Edition, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Chichester, United Kingdom, 2013. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Tracking the COVID-19 Economy's Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships,” updated October 13, 2021, online at https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/tracking-the-covid-19-economys-effects-on-food-housing-and. Dorothy H. Crawford, Viruses: A Very Short Introduction, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2018. Aimee M. Gall et al., “Waterborne Viruses: A Barrier to Safe Drinking Water,” PLOS Pathogens Vol. 11, No. 6 (June 25, 2015), online at https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1004867. Johns Hopkins University & Medicine/Coronavirus Resource Center, “Global Map,” online at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. Microbiology Society, “Microbes and Disease,” online at https://microbiologysociety.org/why-microbiology-matters/what-is-microbiology/microbes-and-the-human-body/microbes-and-disease.html. Minnesota Department of Health, “Waterborne Illness,” online at https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/waterborne/index.html. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “Global economic recovery continues but remains uneven, says OECD,” News Release, September 21, 2021. University of New Hampshire/Casey School of Public Policy, “COVID-19 Economic Crisis: By State,” by Michael Ettlinger and Jordan Hensley, October 1, 2021, online at https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/COVID-19-Economic-Impact-By-State. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Chemical Disinfectants,” online at https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection-methods/chemical.html. U.S. CDC, “Mosquito-Borne Diseases,” online at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/outdoor/mosquito-borne/default.html.  U.S. CDC, Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, Third Edition: An Introduction to Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics, November 2011, “Glossary,” online at https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/glossary.html. U.S. CDC, “Water-related Diseases and Contaminants in Public Water Systems,” online at https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/public/water_diseases.html. Virginia Department of Health, “Waterborne Hazards Control Programs,” online at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/waterborne-hazards-control/. Water Quality Association, “Bacteria and Virus Issues,” online at https://www.wqa.org/learn-about-water/common-contaminants/bacteria-viruses. World Health Organization (WHO), “Waterborne Pathogens and Their Significance in Water Supplies” (table), online (as a PDF) at https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/gdwqrevision/watpathogens.pdf. WHO, “Emerging Issues in Water and Infectious Disease,” 2003, online (as a PDF) at https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/emerging/emerging.pdf. WHO, “Microbial Fact Sheets,” online (as a PDF) at https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/GDW11rev1and2.pdf. For More Information about Water and the Human Body Isabel Lorenzo et al., “The Role of Water Homeostasis in Muscle Function and Frailty: A Review,” Nutrients, Vol. 11, No. 8 (August 2019, accessed online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6723611/(subscription may be required for access). Mayo Clinic Health System, “Water: Essential to your body,” online at https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/water-essential-to-your-body. U.S. Geological Survey, “The Water in You: Water and the Human Body,” https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Science” subject category. Following are links to other episodes on connections of water to human biology.  Please note that some of these episodes are being redone in fall 2021; in those cases, the respective links below will have information on the updated episodes. Overview of water's roles in the body – Episode 592, 8-30-21.Disease: COVID-19 – Episode 517, 3-23-20 and Episode 519, 4-6-20.Disease: influenza – Episode 598, 10-11-21.Circulatory system connections to water – Episode 593, 9-6-21.Muscular system connections to water – Episode 596, 9-27-21,Neurological system connections to water – Episode 594, 9-13-21.Skeleton system connections to water – Episode 595, 9-20-21.Water intake and exercise – Episode 466, 4-1-19.Water thermodynamics – Episode 195, 1-6-14. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-4: Living Systems and Processes 4.3 – Organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. Grade 6 6.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment, including that water is important for agriculture, power generation, and public health.6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment, including that major health and safety issues are associated with air and water quality, Life ScienceLS.2 – All living things are composed of one or more cells that support life processes, as described by the cell theory, including that cell structure and organelles support life processes.LS.3     – There are levels of structural organization in living things, including that similar characteristics determine the classification of organisms.LS.10 – Organisms reproduce and transmit genetic information to new generations. BiologyBIO.4 – Bacteria and viruses have an effect on living systems. 2015 Social Studies SOLs United States History: 1865-to-Present CourseUSII.9 – Domestic and international issues during the second half of the 20th Century and the early 21st Century. Civics and Economics CourseCE.10 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels. World Geography CourseWG.2 – How selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth's surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it. Virginia and United States History CourseVUS.14 – Political and social conditions in the 21st Century. Government CourseGOVT.9 – Public policy process at local, state, and national levels.Virginia's SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/. Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels. Episode 250, 1-26-15 – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rdgrade.Episode 255, 3-2-15 – on density, for 5th and 6th grade.Episode 282, 9-21-15 – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten.Episode 309, 3-28-16 – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade.Episode 333, 9-12-16 – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5thgrade.Episode 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4ththrough 8th grade.Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school.Episode 407, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school.Episode 524, 5-11-20 – on sounds by water-related animals, for elementary school through high school.Episode 531, 6-29-20 – on various ways that animals get water, for 3rd and 4th gradeEpisode 539, 8-24-20 – on basic numbers and facts about Virginia's water resources, for 4th and 6th grade.CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:50).

Today's episode features Audio from a Lively Discussion at the 2020 Charleston Library Conference, "Research Librarians and Society Publishers Working Together to Advance OA and Research." Speakers are Judith Russell, Dean of University Libraries, University of Florida; Rod Cookson, Managing Director, IWA Publishing; Alicia Wise, Director, Information Power; and Gaynor Redvers-Mutton, Head of Business Development and Sales, Microbiology Society and facilitated by Adam Chesler, Director, Global Sales, AIP Publishing. Large publishers are like fish swimming in the sunlight zone of the ocean: they are very visible to librarians and other stakeholders in scholarly communication. Smaller independent publishers of all kinds also exist and these are like fish swimming in the twilight zone of the ocean: also beautiful, strong, and varied but less visible and less food filters down to them. In these deeper waters there are many potential OA shoalmates swimming about. Publishers with very similar missions and serving the same researchers as librarians do. A very basic challenge exists, and this is simply to meet and work together directly. In the subscription world these relationships are typically mediated by sales or subscription agents of various kinds, but exploring OA agreements require more direct conversations about publishing as well as access. This session will explore what has been learned about building these new relationships and how to make them successful. It will be a first event to share the outcomes of the pilot projects between libraries/consortia and society publishers flowing from the Society Publishers Accelerating Open access and Plan S (SPA OPS) project.  Video of the presentation available at https: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaNFOdWt8jA

Join Matt and Laura for this special episode of the podcast where they reflect on what took place during the Microbiology Society's Annual Conference Online 2021.

Happy new year! In our inaugural episode of 2021, we're going to go back to the 1100s and focus on the famous case of the Leper King Baldwin IV, who ruled as king of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185. What exactly is leprosy, and what causes it? We'll use the test case of Baldwin as an opening to talking a bit about the bug Mycobacterium leprae and how exactly leprosy works. Sources for this episode: 1) Abel, L., Sánchez, F. O., Oberti, J., Thuc, N. V., Van Hoa, L., Lap, V. D., Skamene, E., Lagrange, P. H. and Schurr, E. (1998), Susceptibility to Leprosy Is Linked to the Human NRAMP1 Gene. The Journal of Infectious Diseases 177: 133- 145. 2) Fullick A., Locke, J. and Bircher, P. (2015), A Level Biology for OCR A. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 3) Guerrero-Peral, A. L. (2009), Neurological manifestations of the leprosy of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem. Revista de Neurologica 49(8). 4) Turner, J. J., Hektoen International, The remarkable Baldwin IV: leper and king of Jerusalem (online). 5) Author unknown, Microbiology Society (2014), Mycobacterium leprae, the cause of leprosy (online) [Accessed 11/12/2020]

We’d love to hear from you (feedback@breakingbadscience.com)Look us up on social media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/385282925919540Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakingbadsciencepodcast/Website: http://www.breakingbadscience.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakingbadscienceThe past must have been so weird. A comedian once made the observation that a killer's blood at a crime scene used to be something that required a mop, not an evidence bag. How did people even solve crimes in the past? How do they do it now? Why were there monkeys involved? What on earth does it even mean to consider something forensic science? We’re serious about the monkeys. Join hosts Shanti and Danny as we talk about some of the science behind solving crimes, some of its earliest forms and how some of the most advanced techniques are being used today. Additionally, there are some big announcements this week with the launching of the website, patreon, and public facebook group. We look forward to hearing from you all and working to better the podcast in the future. ReferencesMar, J.; Police in Ancient Egypt. Ancient History Encyclopedia. 21-Jul-2017. https://www.ancient.eu/article/1104/police-in-ancient-egypt/Sung, T., McKnight, B.; The Washing Away of Wrongs: Forensic Medicine in Thirteenth-Century Chine (Science, Medicine, and Technology in East Asia. 1247. ISBN: 978-0892648009Dawson, L., Gannicliffe, C.; Managing the Myths - The CSI Effect in Forensic Science. 07-Nov-2017. Microbiology Society. https://microbiologysociety.org/publication/past-issues/microbiology-in-popular-culture/article/managing-the-myths-the-csi-effect-in-forensic-science.htmlCrime Museum; Forensics at the OJ Simpson Trial. CrimeMuseum.org. https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/famous-murders/forensic-investigation-of-the-oj-simpson-trial/Ng, A.; How China Uses Facial Recognition to Control Human Behavior. CNet. 11-Aug-2020. https://www.cnet.com/news/in-china-facial-recognition-public-shaming-and-control-go-hand-in-hand/Arango, T., Goldman, A., Fuller, T.; To Catch a Killer: A Fake Profile on a DNA Site and a Pristine Sample. New York Times. 27-Aug-2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180502192131/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/us/golden-state-killer-case-joseph-deangelo.htmlGilber, G.; A Trial of Witches: A Seventeenth-Century Witchcraft Prosecution. 1997. https://archive.org/details/trialofwitchesse0000geisAssociated Press; Casey Anthony Detectives Missed ‘Suffocation’ Search. USA Today. 25-Nov-2012. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/25/casey-anthony-suffocation-google/1725253/Remaining References listed on website

In this episode of the podcast, Laura speaks with Dr Rod Dillon, Senior Lecturer at the University of Lancaster. Rod talks about his research into the protist parasite Leishmania, and how he has combined his microbiology expertise with art to communicate science in a different way. Rod recently received a grant from the Microbiology Society this, together with an Arts Council England grant, was used to develop and produce The Endosymbiotic Love Calendar 2021. The calendar is on sale now on the Endosymbiotic Love Calendar website. This project brings performance artists & microbiologists together through drag to embody a microorganism for every month of 2021 and links the vitally important world of microbiological research with feminist and queer perspectives to share biological knowledge in an innovative way. Prices include postage: £15 UK mainland (£12 concession price, no question asked), £19 Europe, £20 rest of the world. 50% of the price will be donated to The Outside Project the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ Crisis/Homeless Shelter and Community Centre.

In this Microbiology Today episode of Microbe Talk, Laura revisits interviews with some of the Microbiology Society’s Fleming Prize winners. The Microbiology Society's Fleming Prize is awarded each year to an early career researcher who has achieved an outstanding research record within 12 years of being awarded their PhD. As part of our 75th Anniversary celebrations, the Microbiology Society planned the Fleming Showcase to celebrate the legacy of past Fleming Prize winners and to examine some of the most exciting science from around the globe. Hear from some other Fleming Prize winners in October’s issue of Microbiology Today. Watch the film with Professors Tracy Palmer, David Richardson and Peter Fineran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imx26YF-R30&feature=emb_title

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed how we live and work. For scientists, this means that for the time being conferences have had to change. At the Microbiology Society, we recently held an online conference for early career microbiologists. In this month’s episode, Matt talks to Meaghan Castledine, a PhD student who spoke at the conference. They discuss how she got into microbiology, what it was like presenting at an online conference, and where her research is going next. To find more about the Early Career Microbiologist’s Forum visit our website or LinkedIn page. www.microbiologysociety.org/why-microbiology-matters/early-career-microbiologists-forum.html www.linkedin.com/company/microbiology-society/

Last month, on 29 July, the Microbiology Society hosted a one day online workshop to support ongoing and future research around the pandemic. It was a fantastic event, headed by an organising committee of Professor Peter O’Hare, Professor Mark Harris, Professor Paul Kellam, Dr Steve Griffin and Dr Lindsay Broadbent. In this episode, Laura speaks with Lindsay, Steve and Peter about the day and how, going forward, we hope to continue to support the microbiology community in tackling the pandemic. See our website for the the full programme of the event and check out the blog for what delegates were saying about the workshop on Twitter.

As part of our 'A Sustainable Future' policy project, the Microbiology Society's policy team have produced three special episodes of Microbe Talk to explore the role of microbiology to address some of the world’s biggest challenges. This episode, Eva speaks with Professor Alison Smith Head of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge and Emilia Wojcik, PhD student at the University of Manchester to find out how their research contributes to moving towards a circular economy as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

As part of our 'A Sustainable Future' policy project, the Microbiology Society's policy team have produced three special episodes of Microbe Talk to explore the role of microbiology to address some of the world’s biggest challenges. This episode, Emily speaks with Professor Laura Piddock from the University of Birmingham, who is currently on secondment as the Director of Scientific Affairs, Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership. In the second half of the episode, Emily speaks with Dr Anne Leonard, research fellow at the University of Exeter. Listen to the episode to find out how research into antimicrobial resistance fits into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

As part of our 'A Sustainable Future' policy project, the Microbiology Society's policy team have produced three special episodes of Microbe Talk to explore the role of microbiology to address some of the world’s biggest challenges. This episode, Hannah speaks with Dr Ellie Harrison, Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield and Luke Hillary, PhD student at Bangor University to find out about how their research into soil health contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Visit the 'A Sustainable Future' project webpage and find out more about how microbiology can be used to improve soil health.

As you may know, 2020 is the Microbiology Society’s 75th anniversary. In order to properly commemorate this, we wanted to do some suitably big celebrations. On this month’s Microbe Talk, Matt talks through one of the celebratory project, ‘Showcasing why Microbiology Matters’, with Dr Chloe James, Chair of the Communications Committee.

This month on Microbe Talk is the third episode of Domino Effect, the podcast series where a Microbiology Society member is interviewed by another microbiologist who they have never met before. In this episode, Sarah Jones, PhD student in geomicrobiology at Birkbeck and UCL, is interviewed by Dr John Tregoning, Reader in Respiratory Infections at Imperial College London.

Today on our Inspired by Publishing Podcast we are joined by Tasha Mellins-Cohen, Director of Publishing at Microbiology Society.  Tasha chats with us about a VERY important topic currently being debated in scholarly publishing which is that of Open Access and Plan S.

This month on the podcast, we spoke with Dr Mayri Alessandra Diaz De Rienzo, Ale for short, who is lecturer in Biotechnology at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. Ale is currently in Quebec, Canada, visiting the lab of Professor Eric Déziel on a Microbiology Society Research Visit Grant. Ale has travelled to Canada to research how biosurfactants can work with antibiotics to make infections easier to treat, and how they might be able to improve the lifespan of antibiotics. Find out more about Microbiology Society grants: https://microbiologysociety.org/education-outreach/grants-prizes.html Present your PhD research at the Fleming showcase: https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmicrobiologysociety.org%2Fevent%2Fannual-conference%2Fannual-conference-2020.html%23tab-2&token=8eaa3f-1-1565346710498

This month on Microbe Talk is the second episode of Domino Effect, the podcast series where a Microbiology Society member is interviewed by another microbiologist who they have never met before. In this episode, Dr Lena Ciric, senior lecturer at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at UCL is interviewed by Sarah Jones, PhD student studying Geomicrobiology at Birkbeck and UCL. Follow Lena on Twitter: @drlenaciric Follow Sarah on Twitter: @Sarah_Jokes

Dr. Annaliesa Anderson is Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Bacterial Vaccines within Vaccine Research and Development at Pfizer Inc. In the lab, Liesa is working to develop new vaccines that prevent infectious diseases caused by bacteria. Outside of work, Liesa loves spending time at home with her husband, sixteen year old son, twelve year old daughter, and the family’s new dog. She also enjoys being outside, visiting the Jersey Shore beaches, taking exercise classes with her husband, and serving as a girl scout leader. She earned her PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Warwick in the UK. Afterwards, Liesa was awarded a Natural Environment Research Council postdoctoral fellowship which she completed at the University of Coventry. She was subsequently awarded a Royal Society postdoctoral fellowship during which she conducted research at the University of Warwick. Next, Liesa worked for about 9 years at Merck Research Laboratories. She then joined the team at Wyeth a few years before it was acquired by Pfizer, and she has been with Pfizer ever since. Liesa is a Member of the Microbiology Society, a Fellow of the American Academy for Microbiology, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and she serves on the Microbiology and Infectious Disease Steering Committee at the NY Academy of Sciences. In our interview Annaliesa will share more about her life and science.

In this podcast about careers in scientific publishing, guest Tasha Mellins-Cohen, director of Publishing for the Microbiology Society, talks about her role, career, types of positions in publishing and challenges faced by the sector. A QUB postdoc guest, Helina Marshall, also joins and shares her experience as a junior editor for Access Microbiology.

This month, we've caught up with microbiologist Ruth MacLaren, owner and founder of Sciencedipity. This May, Ruth was at the Eden Project running a number of activities as part of their launch week for their new exhibit Invisible Worlds. To find out more about the Invisible Worlds exhibit: https://microbepost.org/2018/06/20/invisible-worlds-at-the-eden-project/ To find out more about The Microbiology Society's engagement and outreach grants, see: https://microbiologysociety.org/education-outreach/get-involved.html

Malawi, in Sub-Saharan Africa, has the highest incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in the world. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by human papillomavirus, or HPV. Earlier this year, the Microbiology Society funded one of our members, Dr Ramya Bhatia, to travel to Malawi as part of a research collaboration between Nkhoma Hospital and the University of Edinburgh. In this podcast, Ramya talks to us about her time in Malawi, and Nkhoma's highly successful cervical cancer screening programme. Image credit: Derek Brumby/Thinkstock

Earlier this month, the Microbiology Society hosted our Annual Conference 2017 in Edinburgh. While we were there, we managed to catch up with just a few of the researchers presenting posters and giving talks. First up, we spoke to Kirsty Fraser from Heriot-Watt University about a weird protist pathogen wreaking havoc on golf courses. Next, Dr Terry McGenity from the University of Essex told us about microbes that can survive for millennia trapped inside salt crystals. Finally, we spoke with Saskia Rughöft from the Molecular Microbial Ecology Group at the University of Tubingen. Saskia is researching the impact of oil spills and cleanup chemicals on microbes in the ocean. Music: In the Dust by Alex Fitch

The National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) building in Boston is a high-tech facility for the study of emerging, and re-emerging, microbial diseases of humans and animals. The building, part of Boston University, is equipped up to Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4), allowing the researchers there to safely study dangerous viruses like Ebola or Nipah. In this episode, we got special access to the facility to have a look round, guided by Professor Paul Duprex, a Microbiology Society member and an Editor of our Journal of General Virology. On the tour we got to meet the NEIDL’s Director, Professor Ron Corley, who told us about the building’s architecture and function, and talked with Dr Nahid Bhadelia who runs the facility’s back-up medical programme. Music: Ryan Cross – Out Image credit: Tim Llewellyn for Boston University Photography

The threat of antibiotic resistance is large and looming. Drugs that once worked miracles are now failing to work at all as bacteria become resistant to them. This could mean a future where a simple operation, a minor infection, or even a scratch could kill. In this month's podcast, we bring you a recording from a panel event at New Scientist Live. The discussion is fantastic primer on the issue of antibacterial resistance, why it’s so important that we act now, and what we can all do to prevent it. Panellists: Laura Bowater – senior lecturer at Norwich Medical School Caroline Barker – clinician at University of East Anglia Anthony McDonnell – head of economic research for the Prime Minister’s Review on Antimicrobial Resistance Tamar Ghosh – lead on the Longitude Prize to solve antibiotic resistance The event was organised by the Microbiology Society and the Biochemical Society.