microTalk

Dec 02 2024 84 ep. 52 mins 1.7k
microTalk Podcast artwork

The talks from the researchers in the field of infectious diseases. The podcast is hosted by South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID).

  Science
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Archaea for Me-a With Dr. Alexandre Bisson

Dec 02 2024 59 mins  
Archaea are one of the three domains of life on earth, but these organisms are much more mysterious and less understood than either Bacteria or Eukaryotes. Dr. Alex Bisson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Brandeis University. His laboratory studies Archaea, primarily focusing on Haloarchaea. Dr. Bisson discusses how Archaea are able to shape-shift from on

Eradication of the Guinea Worm with Adam Weiss

Jul 11 2024 50 mins  
Guinea worm infections have been plaguing mankind throughout recorded history. The Carter Center took the lead in the guinea worm eradication effort in the 1980’s, when there were over 3 million cases per year. Through concentrated effort, this disease is on the brink of extinction, with only 14 human cases in 2023! Adam Weiss, MPH, is the director of the Guinea Worm Eradicatio

CHARMing the Superbugs with Dr. Victor Nizet

May 08 2024 53 mins  
Antibiotic resistant bacteria are threatening modern society by making antibiotics obsolete. Dr. Nizet is a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Pediatrics at UCSD, as well as the faculty lead for the UCSD Collaborative to Halt Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes (CHARM). His laboratory studies how the human immune system interacts with microbial pathogens, with particular focus

300 Days in Space with Astronaut Dr. Kate Rubins

Mar 08 2024 56 mins  
Houston, we definitely do NOT have a problem…with interviewing Dr. Kate Rubins, NASA astronaut. Dr. Rubins is a virologist who has spent over 300 days in space, performing experiments aboard the International Space Station, where she was the first person to sequence DNA in space. We caught up with Dr. Rubins at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, where she discusses what it fel

Gut on a Chip: Human Gastrointestinal Organoids with Dr. Hyun Jung Kim

Jan 12 2024 43 mins  
Dr. Hyun Jung Kim, an Assistant Professor at Cleveland Clinic specializes in coaxing human cultured cells to differentiate and form tissues resembling the gastrointestinal tract, in order to study microbe-GI interactions. Dr. Kim discusses his surprising discovery of how common immortalized cultured cells can differentiate and form something that resembles a gut-on-a-chip, how th

Plague, Anthrax, and ASM, Oh My! With ASM president Virginia Miller and president-elect Theresa Koehler

Oct 17 2023 45 mins  
Plague and anthrax are feared diseases due to high mortality rates following pulmonary exposure, and both are considered potential bioweapons. Dr. Virginia Miller, professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and ASM President, studies plague, as well as other Gram negative bacteria. Dr. Theresa Koehler, emeritus professor at UTHealth Houston and ASM president-ele

Microbes to the Rescue! Bioremediation with Dr. John Coates

Aug 04 2023 51 mins  
Dr. John Coates, a professor at the University of California Berkeley specializes in environmental microbiology and how microbes can be utilized to resolve problems in industry. microTalk caught up with Dr. Coates at the ASMicrobe conference in Houston and discussed his research in applied and environmental microbiology. Dr. Coates discusses an unexpected discovery of how micro

The Evolution Revolution with Dr. Vaughn Cooper

Jul 07 2023 42 mins  
The study of evolution has experienced a tremendous revolution with the advances in current sequencing technologies enabling e.g. rapid whole genome sequencing. Dr. Vaughn Cooper, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who studies evolution in microbes, has taken advantage of these technologies to delve into how microorganisms adapt and evolve in different environments. micr

Adversary o’ Malaria with Dr. Debopam Chakrabarti

May 15 2023 41 mins  
Malaria continues to have a significant impact on humans. The Plasmodium parasites are transmitted through mosquito bites, and the disease has a tremendous impact on global health. Dr. Debopam Chakrabarti, a professor at the University of Central Florida who specializes in malaria. Dr. Chakrabarti discusses the history of the search for antimalarials, the problem of parasite drug

“Ex” Marks the Spot: Exosomes with Ramin Hakami

Apr 05 2023 40 mins  
Exosomes are small vesicles that that facilitate communication between eukaryotic cells. They resemble mini-cells, and act like carrier pigeons, trafficking various “payloads” among cells. Dr. Ramin Hakami is a Professor of Microbiology at George Mason University. Dr. Hakami studies how infectious diseases are modulated by exosome signaling. Dr. Hakami talks about how exosomes