MicrobeWorld

Thu Aug 16 12:33:53 2012

Thank you guys! =)

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

Thu Aug 16 02:04:37 2012

Sorry about the link error, Liesbeth it's fixed now.

Len makes this comment

on Scientists Discover New Type of Virus Responsible for a Devastating Disease in Snakes

Thu Aug 16 00:16:23 2012

Liesbeth, he just put the wrong link above. You can find a link to ep. 42's MP3 file in the RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/parasitism

Garth Hogan makes this comment

Wed Aug 15 18:57:19 2012

Good point.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Scientists Discover New Type of Virus Responsible for a Devastating Disease in Snakes

Wed Aug 15 14:01:27 2012

The headline should read 'that might be responsible'. As the authors themselves write, they haven't proven that these viruses cause IBD in snakes.

Liesbeth makes this comment

on Small Things Considered: If It Walks Like DNA, and Talks Like DNA…

Mon Aug 13 21:45:34 2012

Dear Vince, I believe you uploaded TWiP #41 instead of #42!! (yeah, I had to settle on music today...) Cheers, Liz.-

Daniel Elleder makes this comment

on TWiP 41: Flying and crawling beasts

Thu Aug 9 20:47:12 2012

Great discussion. One note: the link for the West Nile Story kindle book does not work.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on TWiP 41: Flying and crawling beasts

Tue Aug 7 21:38:07 2012

I agree, Liesbeth! Some day!

Okeowo Joshua makes this comment

on Okeowo Joshua

Tue Aug 7 17:13:27 2012

more abt microbiology

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Herpetic Legion - Reactivation

Sun Jul 29 14:22:08 2012

I can't believe anyone would rate this performance other than 5 stars. Whether or not you like the music, you have to give 8 scientists a lot of credit for getting up in front of a crowd and performing - not giving a talk but playing music.

Mia Kelly makes this comment

Thu Jul 26 23:05:38 2012

Thank you for you post on conjugative transposons! Conjugative transposons are certainly fascinating driving forces of microbial evolution. However, I think that too often the public is bombarded with information about how microbes, especially those containing antibiotic resistant traits, are evolving to harm us rather than help us, when in reality, trillions of bacteria on and within us are working to keep us alive. One example of this specifically is the gut bacteria that help us degrade the complex carbohydrates we consume. Right now, I am looking at how new polysaccharides in our diet are challenging our gut bacteria to evolve and degrade these new substrates. In fact, many carbohydrate utilization loci within the genomes of these bacteria are located on conjugative transposons and seem to have acquired their polysaccharide utilization loci via lateral gene transfer.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Scientists see AIDS vaccine within reach after decades

Wed Jul 18 22:20:53 2012

This is a good development.The earlier the AIDS vaccine is developed,the better for the world.

Megan Kiedrowski makes this comment

on Mix of pathogens caused mystery illness in Cambodia

Wed Jul 11 14:07:35 2012

It would be interesting to hear a discussion on "Today in Microbiology" about how three different pathogens--Dengue, EV71, and Streptococcus suis--all played roles in the recent illness affecting children in Cambodia, especially as more information about what happened there becomes available.

Liesbeth makes this comment

on TWiP 41: Flying and crawling beasts

Thu Jun 28 01:00:01 2012

TVIPs should always have explanatory videos! =)

Jonathan Eisen makes this comment

on Collection of microbe-themed blogs and podcasts

Mon Jun 25 15:50:26 2012

Exactly my line of thinking ...

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Collection of microbe-themed blogs and podcasts

Mon Jun 25 12:49:24 2012

Great list Jonathan. There is a lot to check out. And you're right, MicrobeWorld is not "bloggy", it's designed to be a user-run aggregator of microbe-related content across the web.

Jimmy Pryor makes this comment

on TWiP 39 Letters

Mon Jun 18 23:06:41 2012

In regards to the comments concerning how human/Neandertal contact may have affect each species, this article which appeared in Science Magazine: The Shaping of Modern Human Immune Systems by Multiregional Admixture with Archaic Humans, Vol 334 7 October 2011, suggests that humans benefitted greatly. Apparently, we picked up alleles that strengthened our immune system. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6052/89.abstract?sid=63979397-4ff4-4778-b1be-3c595c0506f1

Diane Henry makes this comment

on TWiM 34: Doing the DISCO with Emiliania

Wed Jun 13 16:31:18 2012

This was a wonderful episode! Emilio's background information about E. hux and diatoms etc was vital to my understanding of the episode, and not only that, I was filled with wonder and amazement at the thought that blooms of these tiny creatures are visible from space. And that they can affect climate! Thank you for blowing my mind today!

Vince makes this comment

on Parasitic Plants Steal Genes from Their Hosts

Tue Jun 12 17:52:04 2012

Whoa! Good find. Reminds us how intimate these parasitic interactions are. In the nudibranch Elysia viridis there are genes transferred from an algae into its genome so that it can utilize photosynthesis upon engulfing the algae. It is speculated that these genes enable this unbelievable adaptation to occur. Perhaps in this case, the transferred genes enable some of the parasitic relationships to evolve? Very cool!

Kelly Stockman makes this comment

on What do Freshmen Know About Microbiology?

Wed May 30 13:30:33 2012

Yes, more micro is a good thing! I recently took micro as a prereq. for nursing only to find I have a passion for microbes. I am now going to pursue a Ph.D. in Cell & Molecular Biology . I am currently starting my second semester in undergrad research in food microbiology. I will be writing my first scientific paper and preparing a poster for INBRE this Fall! All because I was exposed to micro early in my curriculum.

Román Yesid Ramírez R makes this comment

on Sobre Catalina Dávila

Mon May 21 18:47:50 2012

Hola Catalina, soy colombiano y fan de los postcats del mundo de los microbios, quisiera poder contactarme contigo porque estoy interesado en estudios de doctorado en el campo de nuevas alternativas en antibioterapia. Mi correo es royer94@gmail.com. Agradecería tu contacto. Chao

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Eternal Yogurt: The Starter That Lives Forever

Fri May 4 17:15:50 2012

There is no problem if the yoghurt starter culture outlive the discoverer.The important thing is that the desireable characteristics (such as flavour,colour ,taste) inherent in the starter culture is continuously maintained or possibly improved. This can possibly guarantee increased demand for the yoghurt.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Get MicrobeWorld To Go on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android devices

Mon Apr 30 16:50:24 2012

This is a follow up for Alberto. Unfortunately our partners who created the app tell us that while they "know it is frustrating for international users there isn't much they can do about it right now." I'll keep you posted if anything changes in the near future.

Robert S. makes this comment

on TWiP 39: I encyst, said the amoeba

Mon Apr 30 14:37:42 2012

It's not central to the podcast, but the cornea is much much thicker than just 2 cells. The cornea's thickness is around 570 μm, the epithelial layer on the surface is about 50μm (7+ cell layers). If I remember correctly it is the layer of collagen under the epithelial layer that when damaged causes a lot of the neovascularization and scarring associated with infections and mechanical damage, but that's remembering a primer from quite a long time ago.

Lorraine Harris makes this comment

on Know Your Mushrooms - The Documentary

Wed Apr 25 21:31:15 2012

Saw on the Sundance Channel - only caught part of it - what I saw was very interesting - worthwhile information about mushrooms. I copied part of it until I can see all of it.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Clostridium difficile

Tue Apr 17 01:01:54 2012

A very good micrograph. C.difficile , a toxin producing microbe.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Get MicrobeWorld To Go on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android devices

Wed Apr 11 18:41:41 2012

Hi Alberto Catalana, I will look into it and post back here as soon as I find out. I see no reason why they can't.

Alberto Catalano makes this comment

on Get MicrobeWorld To Go on iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android devices

Tue Apr 10 12:12:54 2012

Unfortunately the Android apps are not available in Australia because the Amazon AppStore is restricted to within the USA. Can these apps be made available on the Google apps store?

Nigel Brown makes this comment

on Beaded bacteriophage

Mon Apr 9 15:44:21 2012

PhiX was the first DNA genome ever to be sequenced

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on TWiV Live in Dublin, Ireland, Monday, March 26 2012

Mon Mar 26 14:16:44 2012

We are running a bit late. Please be patient.

Kelly Stockman makes this comment

on From dollar store to microbiology: Student gets his dream job

Thu Mar 22 13:21:39 2012

Kevin, that's so great you found a passion for micro. I recently discovered my passion for micro too. Last semester I took Microbiology as a prereq for nursing school and a whole new world has opened up to me. I'm still going to complete nursing school but when I'm done I am going to take the life science and physical sciences I need as an undergrad before I apply to Grad school. I am interested in the U of Arkansas and plan to pursue a PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology. Right now I have the privilege to be working on undergrad research in food microbiology and I just love it! Thus far in my studies, I am most interested in pathogenesis and immunology. Best of luck in your studies! Kelly

azileretsis makes this comment

on With Climate Change, U.S. Could Face Risk From Chagas Disease

Mon Mar 19 18:54:10 2012

Please do not copy and paste.

azileretsis makes this comment

on ARTS triggers apoptosis

Thu Mar 8 19:27:32 2012

Not enough info for me. Here's more: "ARTS is an unusual septin-like mitochondrial protein that was originally shown to mediate TGF-beta-induced apoptosis." - The mitochondrial ARTS protein promotes apoptosis through targeting XIAP http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC391065/?tool=pubmed

Allan Robbins makes this comment

on About Dickson D. Despommier, Ph.D.

Fri Mar 2 01:12:34 2012

I've enjoy listening to your your TWIP podcast. You are a wonderful story teller and though I have worked in this field a bit as well, I never fail to learn something. I listen in the car on Sticher. My kids think I'm weird but they like it too. In the episode today (1MAR12) on dracunculosis, you made the natural connection that we come across cylops both in the Malaria and the Guinea Worm programs, but in the Podcast you said a couple times that mosquito larvae eat the cyclops and I think you probably meant the converse. We add cyclops to family water jars in Cambodia, to eat the mosquito larvae. Anyway keep up the great work. You strike a nice balance of making the field more approachable, while keeping it interesting enough even for the grouches. Best regards, Allan Allan Robbins, DIH, MPH

Rory Meehan makes this comment

on Bacteria-Killing Viruses Wield an Iron Spike

Wed Feb 29 22:22:34 2012

Should have known you'd have dug this one up years before I came across it today . . .

Shannon Easley makes this comment

on Flu shots can pay off big for employers

Fri Feb 24 19:36:49 2012

Hi Garth - I would really like to use the photo you posted with this article in a publication I'm developing. Do you know the source or how I might get permission to use it? Thanks, Shannon

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Cameco's Cigar Lake Saskatchewan mine dealing with outbreak of nasty norovirus

Fri Feb 17 20:15:13 2012

Local DMV area getting hit too. GW campus reporting at least 85 cases in the last few days.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Petri dish art

Fri Feb 17 12:32:31 2012

Love it!

azileretsis makes this comment

on At Microsoft's Garage science fair: Simulated bacteria and a mood ring for your mobile

Wed Feb 15 17:47:05 2012

That is so cool! I would love to work for a company that allowed for outside interests like these!

malek sallam makes this comment

on TWiP 3: Trichinella spiralis

Mon Feb 13 12:13:29 2012

That was great thank you

malek sallam makes this comment

on TWiP 2: General parasitism

Mon Feb 13 11:05:12 2012

Thanks for the great episode.. I just want to sat that IgA molecule could not activate the complement system (in contrast to IgM and IgG) hence the complement system does not work efficiently in the lumen of the gut although there is little secretory IgM and IgG.

malek sallam makes this comment

on TWiP 1: Introduction to Parasitism

Mon Feb 13 09:01:04 2012

Thank you very much

agwartney makes this comment

on Mycoplasma - adhesion of symbiont infection structure to host

Tue Feb 7 17:36:53 2012

Ooops! Thanks! Somehow added an "r" in there

Manuel Sanchez makes this comment

on Mycoplasma - adhesion of symbiont infection structure to host

Tue Feb 7 16:24:52 2012

Mycroplasma??? I think that the correct name is Mycoplasma http://images.wellcome.ac.uk/indexplus/obf_images/2a/ed/347a535ede226adb999b24670c8f.jpg Regards

okoh makes this comment

Wed Feb 1 19:28:33 2012

please make a segment for beginners

Ray Ortega makes this comment

Mon Jan 30 17:42:20 2012

David, Thanks for the comment. I didn't find anything related to research done on turning local wetlands into sources for fuel cell technology but it's an interesting concept. I did come across this news story from March 2010 where residents express concern for what they view as a possible danger of fuel cell technology: http://fuelcellsworks.com/news/2010/03/21/trumbull-residents-seek-siting-council-changes-from-a-planned-fuel-cell-facility/ It seems more like a NIMBY situation than an actual hazard. Thanks again and I'll keep my eyes peeled for more stories like these. We're certainly going to need all the help we can get when it comes to powering the planet cleanly. Fortunately I think microbes have amazing potential to help us out.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on H5N1 Virus Targets Pulmonary Endothelial Cells

Sun Jan 29 23:20:25 2012

Garth, the H5N1 fatality rate is *not* 60% as you cite above. There is serological evidence that many individuals are infected with mild or no symptoms, which would bring the fatality rate below 1%. Please see http://www.virology.ws/2012/01/25/h5n1-facts-not-fear/ for more information on this. We need to stop citing this incorrect rate as it is driving the controversy over publication of H5N1 results.

David makes this comment

on Fecal microbiota transplants effective treatment for C. difficile, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Sun Jan 29 01:26:17 2012

Has anyone looked into developing fuel cells in wetland environments, i.e. swamps? I live in NWPA and we have lots of natural wetlands in this region. It would be interesting to think we might be able to develop a power source in our own backyards.

Joanne Drayson makes this comment

on TWiM 25 Letters

Thu Jan 26 10:05:50 2012

Jim things have moved on considerably since the documentary was made. The science is still evolving to support the views of ILADS and contradict the narrow views of the IDSA which currently dictates treatment World wide. Last year the institute of Medicine held a Workshop still available on their website, about Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses- they found significant gaps remain in the science, so far too soon to be dictating restricted guidelines as per iDSA. Possibly the most significant research was that by Embers, Barthold et al http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029914 Persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Rhesus Macaques following Antibiotic Treatment of Disseminated Infection Don't remember seeing this much on the internet yet although it was published 11th January 2012

azileretsis makes this comment

on Blinking bacteria trained in 'biopixel' displays

Wed Jan 4 15:17:56 2012

I don't know if I like the word "trained", more like programmed. I wonder the level of mutation that they are getting.

Patrick s Phillips makes this comment

on Rotavirus

Sun Dec 25 09:38:47 2011

As a early adulthood I had a problem with Ge rd or Acid Re flux. Can the acids in our stomach's in high concentration kill of this Rota virus. Or the medications that control these condition, help kill this virus, before it gets out of hand to cause the diarrhea and vomiting. Or a daily regimen Vitamin C and sorts keep the rota virus away.

Howard Lundy makes this comment

Tue Dec 20 23:39:24 2011

A fecal transplant (FT) pretty much saved my uncle's life. He had the C. diff colitis infection and was in progressive decline. About 3 days after the FT he started feeling normal again…. get the word out! Even Stephen Colbert reported on this new procedure… check it out here: http://fecaltransplant.info/fecal-transplant-therapy-mentioned-on-the-colbert-report/ Visit my advocacy blog for more information at http://fecaltransplant.info

Raphael Fernandez makes this comment

on TWiP 33: Hide and seek

Thu Dec 1 12:56:11 2011

The acronym "CPC" which you mentioned in the first few minutes of the podcast is for "Clinico-Pathologic Conference."

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on TWiP 33: Hide and seek

Wed Nov 30 22:27:28 2011

TWiP #33 is unusually popular - I wonder why?

Felix Gmuender makes this comment

on Human-associated Species Dominate Restroom Bacterial Communities

Mon Nov 28 13:06:56 2011

No wonder - the majority of guys do not wash their hands (properly) after using the toilet (ASM News, October 2002, p.477) and the comments by F.D.A. Rosenberg (ASM News, January 2003, p. 1), V. G. Wilson (ASM News, April, 2003, p. 162), and F. A. Rosenberg (ASM News, July 2003, p. 319). And then pathogens are also found in soap dispensers (Microbe Volume 2, Number 8, 2007 p. 375)

A Listener makes this comment

on TWiP 33: Hide and seek

Thu Nov 24 22:21:18 2011

I'd like to hear you both talk about demodex folliculorum, also known as the bug that lives in your eyelash follicles.

odduck makes this comment

on MTS44 Michael Worobey - In Search of the Origin of HIV and H1N1's Hidden History

Sun Nov 20 02:44:35 2011

I completely agree with Troy's rational arguments against genital mutilation in infants.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on E. coli could convert sugar to biodiesel at 'an extraordinary rate,' say Stanford researchers

Thu Nov 17 01:55:54 2011

This an amazing discovery about E.coli. It also shows that the potentials of this minute creature are numerous and are yet to be fully tapped. Moreover, it shows that E.coli once believed to have only negative economic importance can also have positive economic importance. More research efforts will definitely confirm this.

V.K. Viswanathan makes this comment

on Students create yeast bacteria with enhanced properties

Fri Nov 11 19:09:39 2011

'Yeast bacteria"? What next, Viral Bacteria? Or human animals, maybe? These kinds of errors are unpardonable in a site that is supposed to be "educational".

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Texas A&M center confronts antibiotic crisis with potential new bacterial treatment

Mon Nov 7 23:41:22 2011

Thanks for the feedback. I found the originating link and updated the article to be an excerpt only linking back to the page which includes a video.

azileretsis makes this comment

on Texas A&M center confronts antibiotic crisis with potential new bacterial treatment

Mon Nov 7 21:16:55 2011

I don't think you are supposed to cut and paste the entire article even if it is yours. If it is used with permission, I think that should be noted. This article looks like it was credited to Kathleen Phillips @ Texas A&M. I would hate my writings to not be credited.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on The Virtual Museum of Bacteria

Fri Nov 4 15:29:12 2011

You may want to check your source link as it currently points to a domain for sale notice for bacteria.org.

Joanne Drayson makes this comment

on TWiM 18 Letters

Thu Oct 20 10:58:05 2011

Tim So much is known about Borrelia but ignored lectures by Microbiologist Tom Grier can be found on my blog but too long to post here. He explains reasons why Microbiologists are not finding Borrelia by modern techniques and also talks about work done by Miklossy and Paschner finding Lyme on the brain (part 4 of his lectures) In Paschner's mouse model 20 years ago the strain injected in the tail of the mouse had morphed within 4 weeks and was different from what was harvested from the brain of the mouse.

Kenneth Todar makes this comment

on Study: 1 in 6 Cell Phones Contaminated With Fecal Matter

Tue Oct 18 02:40:47 2011

I do not minimize the importance of hand washing. However, I think, by inference, this means that common (public) use computer keyboards and telephones might be close to 100 percent.....as well as the hands of hand-shaking, baby-holding politicians, and high-fiving athletes. I get it that (at least, in water microbiology) where E. coli is found, so might be Salmonella, Campylobacter, norvirus, etc. but what's happened to the concepts of infectious dose and the hygiene hypothesis?

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Staphylococcus aureus

Sun Oct 16 19:00:23 2011

A very good microscopy. This can be used as teaching aid.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Synchronized Genetic Clocks (Quorum Sensing - Video)

Tue Oct 11 13:39:48 2011

Great video! It visually depicts the concept of quorum sensing in a nutshell (or in this case under a minute).

Erashida makes this comment

on Listeria outbreak in cantaloupes is deadliest in a decade

Wed Oct 5 10:43:17 2011

A recent shock of cantaloupes tainted with listeria is just the latest event of impure food reaching consumers . Even more unsettling is the tiny fraction of imported food that really makes it to assessment by the FDA. With the rise of globalization, more and more imported food is making it to the nation's shores. Federal sources are vastly insufficient to deal with the need. Same topic is Only a part of imported foods is inspected by FDA

Olga makes this comment

on Weird New Forms of Bacterial Life Found in the Dead Sea

Sat Oct 1 17:12:15 2011

It's a great discovery. I think that discoveries like this and a win in the New7Wonders of Nature (you can vote here: www.facebook.com/VoteDeadSea )will bring more funds to research the place.

Kate makes this comment

on Human Immunodeficiency Virus 3D

Fri Sep 30 21:08:16 2011

Kudos to all members of the Visual Science Company Team!

Tara makes this comment

on Weird New Forms of Bacterial Life Found in the Dead Sea

Fri Sep 30 02:06:48 2011

Archaea are not bacteria. They are, however, both prokaryotes.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Trine Tsouderos on This Week in Virology: When do you fact-check article content with sources?

Thu Sep 22 15:49:07 2011

I think the issue is that if you fact check with the author of the study you are writing about you risk getting a biased assessment. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't fact check it with an independent source.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Trine Tsouderos on This Week in Virology: When do you fact-check article content with sources?

Thu Sep 22 15:40:50 2011

I think it's a great idea to check facts in science-related stories; I cannot understand why the writers are so opposed to this practice. I checked Rebecca Skloot's 'Immortal Life' in this way and I am sure she is grateful. I've also done it for Trine, as we reveal in TWiV 149.

Kenneth Todar makes this comment

on Flesh-eating bacteria's rise tied to antibiotic cream

Sun Sep 18 22:21:56 2011

The original article, Suzuki M, Yamada K, Nagao M, Aoki E, Matsumoto M, Hirayama T, et al. Antimicrobial ointments and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Oct; [Epub ahead of print] DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1710.101365 makes no mention of flesh-eating bacteria or necrotizing fasciitis. The sensational title was apparently a remake by MSNBC, or conceived by author J. Brownstein (My Health News Daily). cited here as the "source". Although MRSA is associated with necrotizing fasciitis, and antibiotic resistance may well-contribute to its incidence, the term "flesh-eating bacteria" implying necrotizing fasciitis, refers more specifically to Group A Streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes). Also, all references beg the point, when should you use (or not use) triple antibiotic on a wound?

mohammad makes this comment

on Clostridium sporogenes

Wed Sep 14 13:52:11 2011

thank you very much Chris

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Clostridium sporogenes

Wed Sep 14 13:23:50 2011

Hi Mohammad, Yes, that is a perfect use of this image since the author licensed it under Creative Commons - Attribution + Noncommercial see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. At MicrobeWorld we encourage people to license their content in this manner so it can be used for educational purposes without all the bureaucracy that often goes with seeking permissions.

mohammad makes this comment

on Clostridium sporogenes

Wed Sep 14 11:29:23 2011

i used this image in a post related to Clostridium sporogenes @ http://www.ba7ith.com/?p=2570 hope it is Ok and many thanks in advance

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Campylobacter bacteria

Thu Sep 1 21:58:57 2011

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most popular and notorious pathogens causing food borne diseases not only in the United States but also in other countries across the world. This scanning electron microscope image is showing a very good structure of the microbe.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Bacteria from Dog Feces Present in Outdoor Air in Urban Areas

Mon Aug 22 03:55:21 2011

Thanks for the guidance, Kenneth! I've replaced the Miami story with the ScienceDaily one.

Kenneth Todar makes this comment

on Bacteria from Dog Feces Present in Outdoor Air in Urban Areas

Sun Aug 21 17:34:13 2011

The current selected Source (ScienceDaily) is much more appropriate for MicrobeWorld News. To put this remark and my added comment in proper context, on Saturday, Aug 20, MicrobeWorld released this submission pointing to the Miami Herald as its Source. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/19/2367221/study-finds-bacteria-from-dog.html

Kenneth Todar makes this comment

on Bacteria from Dog Feces Present in Outdoor Air in Urban Areas

Sun Aug 21 05:43:59 2011

Regarding Garth Hogan's submission, "Study finds bacteria from dog feces in winter sky above Detroit", the article I am referred to with the same title is published in the Miami Herald posted online Aug 19, 2011. The Herald in turn cites publication in "Applied and Environmental Biology", which does not exist. The actual study, as found in AEM, is entitled "Sources of bacteria in outdoor air across cities in the midwestern United States" and it is published online ahead of print on July 29, 2011 (Appl. Environon. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/AEM.05498-11). The Herald states that Detroit samples were taken at 12 feet above ground, a long way from the "winter sky above Detroit", although the authors state that Detroit samples were taken at ~1.5 meters (about 5 feet), an even longer stretch to the winter sky.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Infographic: The Deadliest Disease Outbreaks in History

Fri Aug 19 19:01:47 2011

Good catch Rebecca. It's a shame such a lovely infographic has to be ruined by something that is easily fact checked on Google.

Rebecca Rashid Achterman makes this comment

on Infographic: The Deadliest Disease Outbreaks in History

Fri Aug 19 18:48:17 2011

The visual aspect is good at getting its point across in terms of number of deaths caused by each disease, but it incorrectly suggests a viral cause for all the diseases listed. In particular, the right-hand panel of honorable mentions states "Although the following viruses do not have a figure for total amount of lives claimed, they continue to terrorize various areas around the world. " It then lists Malaria (caused by a parasite), Tuberculosis (caused by a bacterium) and Yellow Fever (this one is actually caused by a virus). I would love to see an updated version made that correctly attributes the causative agents of each disease.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Bacterial Resistance to Antibiotics: The More They Resist, the More They Divide

Fri Aug 5 22:01:30 2011

This is indeed a challenge that must be faced and overcome. Further research is seriously needed to stop this bacteria resistance and especially this peculiar divisions and multiplications.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Salmonella enteritidis

Wed Aug 3 19:52:19 2011

The most important thing is to produce or synthesize an appropriate antibiotic that can stop the activities of this dangerous microbe.I believe this is possible.

jim makes this comment

on TWiM #9: Bean sprouts and E. coli O104:H4

Sat Jul 30 22:00:35 2011

This site, http://ascr-discovery.science.doe.gov/synchronized/magellan1.shtml , discusses the role the US Department of Energy had in this research.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Dr. Kiki's Science Hour Guest Vincent Racaniello

Thu Jul 28 15:09:16 2011

Sweet. You get to be in the new studio today!...sort of

Have a great episode!

erik makes this comment

on Indian mycologists discover world's most heat-resistant fungi

Thu Jul 28 06:26:04 2011

great post! I'm surprised that they discovered such a fungi! thank you for sharing this!

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Hendra virus found in a dog

Wed Jul 27 12:09:11 2011

They did not find Hendra virus in the dog - they find antibodies that react with the virus. This may indicate previous infection with Hendra virus or a related virus.

ErmesB makes this comment

on Scientists a step closer to human vaccine for chikungunya virus

Mon Jul 25 06:53:59 2011

Lots of mosquito killer products have manufactured. While there are soe electric devices being used. Whatever you use to kill these dangerous insects, yet one thing is for sure, mosquitoes virus can lead to death. Denizens of large United States cities face a scourge called the Asian Tiger mosquito. The Wall Street Journal reports that species Aedes albopictus, which is recognized for its black-and-white striped physique, is as new to the U.S. as is it is “vicious” and hard to kill. Unlike most mosquitoes, the Asian Tiger attacks during the daytime. It also can spread dengue fever. Here is the proof: Urban bloodletting: Beware the Asian Tiger mosquito.

Dr. Alexander Pauli makes this comment

on New gonorrhea strain resists all antibiotics

Mon Jul 11 16:42:24 2011

Sorry: http://www.manetec-52.de/apps/amicbase_drugs-online/base.nsf That's the complete link to AmicBase. Or via www.reviewscience.com A.Pauli

Dr. Alexander Pauli makes this comment

on New gonorrhea strain resists all antibiotics

Mon Jul 11 16:39:10 2011

Check out older antibiotics against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. There are many with activity formerly -- and today? Have all these drugs been tested in the antibiogram ? Over 400 tests are saved in AmicBase against this organism: http://www.manetec-52.de Best regards Alexander Pauli

Dr.Lane makes this comment

on First man ‘functionally cured’ of HIV

Sat Jul 9 01:35:47 2011

I will clear this up for everyone. This 1% issue, first of all is a theory. And it is 1% of people in the world. The theory is based off of people several 100 years ago who developed immunity to smallpox, but this has been happening all over the world for millions of years whenever there is a plague. A small amount of people survive. There is another theory that states that humans will evolve. therefore 1% of the human population more than likely have immunity to HIV or we could all become extinct. Since this has never happened in the history of mankind this THEORY proves true, but there is not a real way of proving it. Now that we have this case this theory proves to be even stronger. Where yahoo messed up in this article is by stating it was 1% of Caucasians that have immunity. Instead they should have done some good journalism and researched the facts

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on 500 Million-Year-Old Symbiosis

Tue Jul 5 20:58:27 2011

Make that TWiM #8!

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on 500 Million-Year-Old Symbiosis

Tue Jul 5 20:57:20 2011

See TWiM #9 - Live in NOLA - for more on this from Nicole Dubilier, who also works on the symbiosis between mouthless worms and bacteria.

SoperStrategies makes this comment

on Mosquitoes score in chemical war

Tue Jul 5 14:34:58 2011

One does not have to be a rocket scientist to understand that resistance is the logical result of all the chemicals being used. At Soper Strategies we have understood this unfortunate dilemma when working with pesticides. That is also the reason that our strategies are aimed at green, permanent, integrated and uncompromised solutions. With the emphasis on green.. The WHO has been aiming their programs too much on involvement of communities, instead of leaving the responsibilities for mosquito-borne disease combat with local authorities. Add to this the extensive use of pesticides and one knows why we are dealing with increasinging problems. With all the modern technologies that we have available today, eradication of mosquitoes and the close-up monitoring of re-emergence, are easier then ever before. The problem should be tackled at the source and not be aimed at prevention of the problem (bednets).

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Epidemiology and social media: conference fail

Sun Jun 26 18:27:22 2011

Indeed, the empowerment of the internet for scientists is quite well known - it allows us to reach many more people than we ever have in our careers. Many scientists are blogging and podcasting and reaching new audiences, which appreciate the direct contact. This is why we just passed one million downloads on TWiV. It would be useful to emphasize such success stories as examples of what scientists can be doing.

MASSIEL makes this comment

on Mundo de los Microbios - Episodio 87

Tue Jun 7 14:44:08 2011

es muy interesante el tema...los fagos como una herramienta de transferencia horizontal de genes de resistencia.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Escherichia coli showing flagella

Sun Jun 5 21:17:02 2011

A very informative piece about E.coli 0157:H7 . The lethal tendencies of this microbe should be curbed or stopped immediately.Required and appropriate antibiotics should be synthesized or produced by researchers.This becomes imperative so as to avoid a pandemic of a monumental proportion globally.

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on TWiM #8: Live in NOLA

Sat Jun 4 21:30:33 2011

It's a shame I couldn't stay to the end of the show, there were more talks starting at 3pm! I'm sure we'll meet some other time. Cheers!

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on TWiM #8: Live in NOLA

Fri Jun 3 21:31:16 2011

Hello Twisted Bacteria - you should have come up afterwards and said hello. Would have loved to meet you. Thanks for coming - Vincent.

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on TWiM #8: Live in NOLA

Fri Jun 3 07:30:32 2011

I was among the 'crowd' in the room watching the show at the ASM meeting. Listening to the podcast is great, but actually seeing how they do it is even better! Keep the good work!

sundus liaquat makes this comment

on BacterioFiles Micro Edition 41 - Current-Catching Carbon Converters

Wed Jun 1 20:09:55 2011

can any 1 plz suggest me any topic fr my research project !! im a studnt final year!!

MASSIEL makes this comment

Wed Jun 1 14:13:51 2011

is good! very good

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on TWiV 135: Live in the Big Easy

Wed Jun 1 13:57:25 2011

I am always curious about why someone would vote a TWiV episode only one star. If you have a specific problem with the episode, please leave a comment so that we can improve it in future episodes.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on The chronic fatigue virus: de-discovered?

Tue May 31 21:09:08 2011

Now that it has been proven that XMRV is not the virus responsible for chronic fatigue,researchers will have to intensify their effort at discovering the actual cause of chronic fatigue.We cannot afford to be mislead anymore.

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on Scanning electron micrograph of a new genus of beta-Proteobacteria responsible for the degradation of organic oxalate waste produced by Bayer processing

Mon May 30 10:49:12 2011

Nice hairy bug!

Chris Carter makes this comment

on ASM Live 2011: Bacteria May Contribute to Development of Parkinsons Disease

Mon May 23 11:59:23 2011

Many other viruses and bacteria have been implicated in Parkinson's disease There are listed at Link Text. Interestingly interferon gamma, a cytokine induced by many infections also kills substantia nigra neurones Link Text suggesting a common means whereby many infections could target these dopamine neurones, whose destruction leads to Parkinson's disease. These pathogens are common and of course do not produce Parkinson's disease in all cases of infection - Suseceptibility genes, which are often related to the immune system and to pathogen entry and defence pathways likely play a role in conditioning their effects.

Felix makes this comment

Wed May 18 16:35:56 2011

@Chris, Fixed! I unsubscribed in iTunes, deleted the previous downloaded episode and then resubscribed. Thanks

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Wed May 18 13:19:08 2011

@Felix - Okay, a new version has been uploaded to our content delivery network. I tested it out in iTunes and it works for me (so did the last one BTW). Please let me know if you have any issues with it. Also, you should unsubscribe to TWiP and then re-subscribe to download the new version.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Tue May 17 18:26:20 2011

It will happen this evening.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Tue May 17 18:24:10 2011

A new version of this file be uploaded shortly. I'll report back here when it's complete.

Felix makes this comment

Tue May 17 09:19:47 2011

The same truncated version has also downloaded through iTunes!

Felix makes this comment

on Clemson Study: Beer Pong Transfers High Amounts Of Bacteria

Sun May 15 15:49:50 2011

The MP3 doesn't seem to download correctly - only 12.2MB download (26 minutes) whereas site says size it is 32MB.

Huston Heatherly makes this comment

Sat May 14 18:59:00 2011

This is why i quit playing beer pong at my fraternity house

Jonathan Eisen makes this comment

on Compiling a list of reporters who cover #microbiology stories well; suggestions wanted

Wed May 11 14:55:35 2011

Thanks Garth. You should go to the link on the note (not obvious that there would be anything there, but there is a whole blog post about this issue). I started looking around and discovered the ASM award. I then compiled a list of all the awardees including links to their articles when possible.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Compiling a list of reporters who cover #microbiology stories well; suggestions wanted

Wed May 11 14:14:30 2011

One place to look is the list of past winners of the ASM Public Communications Award; http://www.asm.org/index.php/awards-grants/pc-award-past-winners-2011.html?title=PC+Award+Past+Winners+2011

Rory Meehan makes this comment

on Clemson Study: Beer Pong Transfers High Amounts Of Bacteria

Mon May 9 17:27:56 2011

My days of beer-pong are behind me (once you've gained Grand Yokozuna status, isn't just not that fun anymore) - but this makes me doubly glad I hung the spurs.

Rory Meehan makes this comment

on Just when you thought it was safe to make a nice open-faced turkey sammich

Fri May 6 05:47:39 2011

Thank you sir, it's always nice to hear from a fan

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Just when you thought it was safe to make a nice open-faced turkey sammich

Thu May 5 20:48:48 2011

Rory, You've got the best teases for content on MicrobeWorld hands down! Thanks.

Rybalka makes this comment

on First pathogen with a human gene: N. gonorrhoeae plays the field, accepts DNA from bacteria AND humans

Tue Apr 19 13:41:49 2011

To Chris, Your examples are all about bacterial DNA in humans, not sure the reciprocity was shown before.

Irene makes this comment

on Bacteria, protozoa, and algae from a wild stream

Mon Apr 18 11:35:37 2011

Unique image! Thank you [img][/img]

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Filtering out pesticides with E. coli

Mon Apr 18 00:25:32 2011

This has again expose the versatility of Escherichia coli. Its ability to extract the toxic pesticides, parathion and methyl parathion from the polluted air is of a positive economic importance.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Gram-positive Enterococcus sp. bacteria

Mon Apr 18 00:00:18 2011

Examining enterococcal isolates at the species level using new rapid surveillance methods is commendable. However,their resistance to many and sometimes all standard therapies is of serious concern. Therefore,serious effort should be made by researchers to tackle this issue of enterococcal resistance globally. This becomes imperative so as to reduce or totally eradicate all infections associated with Enterococcus sp bacteria.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Ozone reduces fungal spoilage of fruits and vegetables

Tue Apr 12 17:20:01 2011

Kudos to you,Dr Ian Singleton for this discovery and also for the recommendations highlighted. For now, i strongly feel ( or suggest) that the usage of ozone for preservation of fruits and vegetables should be restricted possibly for industrial or commercial purposes only. This is because the local farmers may not be able to administer it in the required concentrations ;unlike in the industries where effective monitoring could be done by the quality-control personnels.Effort should also be made to ensure or confirm that ozone does not have any adverse effect on the genetic make-up and the nutritive values of these fruits and vegetables.

Dave Flanagan makes this comment

on Treating Wounds With a Rubber Stamp?

Wed Apr 6 18:15:32 2011

@Chris, sorry about that, thanks for pointing it out. Here's the long version: Link Text Dave

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Treating Wounds With a Rubber Stamp?

Wed Apr 6 15:31:41 2011

@Dave - the Ow.ly link doesn't work.

Dave Flanagan makes this comment

on Treating Wounds With a Rubber Stamp?

Wed Apr 6 07:58:19 2011

Want to find out more? Watch a video of the authors describing their research and get free access to the original paper at http://ow.ly/4u7MC . Dave Flanagan Advanced Functional Materials

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on TWiV 126: Wart's up, doc?

Fri Apr 1 16:14:32 2011

Good to hear that. We'll have her back for a general TWiV discussion.

Regine L makes this comment

on Superbugs in the Supermarket

Fri Apr 1 08:25:47 2011

I have read several news regarding deadly superbugs. The bacteria can be transmitted from animals to humans. Headlines of superbugs are always scary. Some of the newest headlines make it sound like an absolute crisis is occurring in California. Hand washing can control the Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bug. Regardless of the danger of the bug, not all hospitals are proving compliant with hand-washing protocols that would control it.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on 'Virus-eater' discovered in Antarctic lake

Thu Mar 31 19:47:03 2011

This is indeed a great discovery. The usefulness of a virophage can not be overemphasized.It can be of tremendous use in curbing the menace of viral pathogenic diseases in both plant and animals throughout the world.More research is still needed by marine microbiologists or virologists to identify and possibly characterize as many virophages as possible. Their physiology ,biochemistry and metabolism should also be researched into.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

Thu Mar 31 14:49:31 2011

James, Thanks for watching the video and commenting. I agree, no more batteries would be awesome! Perhaps in the future we'll all have small tanks in our homes recharging mini fuel cells that power our homes. An aquarium that works for us

James Ward makes this comment

on Medicinal beer? New study shows maybe the ancient Nubians were onto something

Wed Mar 30 23:38:11 2011

Really awesome microbe! No more batteries...YAY!

James Ward makes this comment

Wed Mar 30 17:19:32 2011

It's interesting how the Nubians came up with antibiotic beer. I never thought alcohol could be used in this particular manner.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on TWiV 126: Wart's up, doc?

Tue Mar 29 13:24:31 2011

Michelle Ozbun was great to listen to. I think she's worthy of being TWiV's 5th wheel

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on TWiP 21 - The giant intestinal worm, Ascaris lumbricoides

Mon Mar 28 14:51:49 2011

Hello, contact Vincent Racaniello here about the use of images that have been posted in the TWiP posts. If you use the search function on this site you will be able to find images with their specific copyright designations. In most cases (with the exception of images in the public domain) you should contact the author of the image for their usage in a book since it is ultimately for commercial purposes.

JUNHO JUNG makes this comment

on TWiP 21 - The giant intestinal worm, Ascaris lumbricoides

Mon Mar 28 09:26:59 2011

thanks for this great podcast there are not many chance to hear about parasites I'm currently writing a book about parasites in korea and I wonder if I could use some of the images in this site for my book thank you very much

Sky Shields makes this comment

on "What is Life?" A Non-Particle View

Sat Mar 26 17:21:13 2011

Woops. I thought the video link would be more prominent. Here it is again: "What is Life? A Non-Particle View" LPAC Basement research team member Oyang Teng and 21st Century Science & Technology editor Laurence Hecht discuss the implications of Luc Montagnier's recent experiments demonstrating water-mediated, low-frequency electromagnetic emission from bacterial and viral DNA. Preceding the discussion is a 10-minute animated segment on Montagnier's experiments.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Glimpses of the fourth domain

Mon Mar 21 14:01:42 2011

This blog post by Zimmer is a good read. It's worth checking out.

Dawn Rotarangi makes this comment

on Scientists Target Genetically Modified Probiotics To Cure Gut Conditions

Fri Mar 18 22:22:08 2011

I believe consumers will be very resistant to the idea of genetically modified probiotic bacteria. They may well have additional benefits that we can exploit but because probiotics are marketed as a health supplement, my feeling is that there will be a reluctance on the part of the consumer. Probiotic cheese, for instance, has met with some resistance. On the other hand, if someone is desperate enough with their symptoms then they just might overlook the modified aspect. Be interesting to see.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Marine Microbes (video)

Wed Mar 16 13:13:09 2011

This is a fantastic video. Really well done.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on New Microscope Produces Dazzling 3D Movies of Live Cells

Tue Mar 15 14:21:26 2011

Absolutely amazing!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Mon Mar 14 14:24:03 2011

I will pass your idea on to Vincent Racaniello who hosts This Week in Microbiology.

Serena makes this comment

on Gonorrhea Acquires a Piece of Human DNA: First Evidence of Gene Transfer from Human Host to Bacterial Pathogen

Thu Mar 10 02:38:16 2011

I am very new to microbiology and when I stumbled on to this site it has made me very interested. I am looking forward to the next podcast however could i suggest that maybe you could add a little segment for the beginners of microbiology? Like what is the difference between bacteria and viruses? How does microbes effect the treatment of a infection? If this is too basic for your site I understand. Serena.

Michael Noble makes this comment

on Fecal Bacteria on 72% of Shopping Carts

Sat Mar 5 09:42:18 2011

I understand why the media loves these types of ichy stories, but the reality is that they are far more negative than positive. First off this story suggests an incorrect message that folks that go shopping are at high risk of E. coli infection. That of course is nonsense. Assuming that the microbiology is accurate, where might these fecal coliforms come from. The likelihood that 72 % of shoppers have E.coli on their hands is zero. Probably the E. coli comes from the aforementioned babies in buggy chairs and this is easily addressed with a little hand alcohol and some regular buggy cleaning. So I am not so sure we should be celebrating or promoting these stories. Context is everything.

European Biotechnologist makes this comment

on Science Comedian Brian Malow at #AAAS

Sun Feb 27 21:05:10 2011

I think that Brian Malow is great and I have quoted him a lot on the european biotechnologist blog . I have also found another video which is funny yet makes (what I believe to be) a subtle political statement regarding the use of animals in scientific research. Check out Tofu mice: science for vegans

Chris Carter makes this comment

Wed Feb 16 19:58:32 2011

This is definitely not the first time that human genes are found in bacteria or vice versa: Trost et al have published two papers on this showing that ALL human proteins contain bacterial consensi,often of contiguous nonapeptides, and therefore genes (and therefore that bacteria contain human genes) Bacterial peptides are intensively present throughout the human proteome Self/Nonself Trost et al, 2010 and No human protein is exempt from bacterial motifs. Not even one Self Nonself Trost et al, 2010b

Chris Carter makes this comment

on First pathogen with a human gene: N. gonorrhoeae plays the field, accepts DNA from bacteria AND humans

Wed Feb 16 19:53:26 2011

This is definitely not the first time that human genes are found in bacteria or vice versa: Trost et al have published two papers on this showing that ALL human proteins contain bacterial consensi,often of contiguous nonapeptides, and therefore genes (and therefore that bacteria contain human genes) Bacterial peptides are intensively present throughout the human proteome Self/Nonself Trost et al, 2010at and No human protein is exempt from bacterial motifs. Not even one Self Nonself Trost et al, 2010b

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Discovery of Jumping Gene Cluster Tangles Tree of Life

Sat Feb 12 17:25:13 2011

Please, kindly do more research to authenticate the fact that there is indeed a horizontal transfer of wholesale pathways in or among these fungi .This may proof to be a significant discovery.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Chemists introduce 'killer' bacteria-fighting paper

Sat Feb 12 16:59:04 2011

This is a very good innovation. I hope this will not have a dis advantage of affecting the biodegradation of the paper especially in refuse dumps.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Google: It's alive! Microbiologists use bacteria to cook up logo...

Mon Feb 7 21:00:34 2011

And, in fact, this IS the featured video for the week of 2/7 - 2/14!

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on Microbe Soap Dispenser

Sun Feb 6 18:53:27 2011

But did you see their heart-warming and heart-burning box of toys?? That is so cool. I'm ordering one! http://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/heart-warming.html

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on From the"weird science" files, it's gross, but amazing if it works

Sat Feb 5 16:50:20 2011

This is incredible. I wonder if this procedure will not be irritating to most people. Anyway , my suggestion is that the procedure should be subjected to serious peer-review . Also, care should be taken to avoid indiscriminate use of this procedure, especially in the less developed world. Until probably the World Health Organisation ( W H O) comes out with a blueprint or statement validating the use of this procedure ,serious caution should be exercised.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Google: It's alive! Microbiologists use bacteria to cook up logo...

Fri Feb 4 16:16:55 2011

grrrr, you beat me to it!

I was just going to post this. This is a great video and well done. "Microbiology triumphs again." lol.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Google: It's alive! Microbiologists use bacteria to cook up logo...

Fri Feb 4 14:24:26 2011

I think this is a candidate for a featured video.

Richard Condit makes this comment

on TWiP 6: Tapeworms, the long and short of it

Wed Feb 2 03:20:22 2011

I did NOT know that Florida was the second most productive cattle state in the union. When I heard I nearly fell off my bike.

Christopher Knox makes this comment

on Milk of Life: Dairy Cows Inoculated against Sepsis Could Help Malnourished Children

Mon Jan 31 17:50:05 2011

This isn't really a new technique... but I'm glad someone is paying attention! Colostrum is a great way to help a LOT of things...

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on The Salmonella Index: The Best and Worst States for Food Poisoning

Thu Jan 27 18:27:20 2011

There are an unfortunate number of states listed here that received a grading of "F." It's interesting however to read why they got an "F." For instance, most cases reported in Arizona are caused by norovirus and are a result of recreation activities in the water.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Detecting Tuberculosis: No Microscopes, Just Rats

Tue Jan 11 19:37:48 2011

Great discovery. This can be of help in extremely poor nations where access to modern diagnostic facilities may be scarce. I think more research is still needed to authenticate and prove that the rats can not transmit or spread this disease or other infections.

marcia stone makes this comment

on MTS64 - Martin Blaser - Save Our Endangered Germs

Fri Jan 7 17:19:37 2011

Also see the Current Topics piece in the March issue of Microbe magazine (URL below): http://www.microbemagazine.org/index.php/03-2010-current-topics/1423-losses-in-ancestral-microbes-pose-health-risks-to-humans There's an accompanying interview.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on First WikiLeaks, Now ScienceLeaks

Wed Jan 5 14:25:14 2011

This actually reminds me more of a Napster of science than a wiki leaks of science because what's being distributed here is not secret, undisclosed research or communication, it's published research behind paywalls. The site by the way is http://scienceleaks.blogspot.com/.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on DIY Biotech Hacker Space Opens in NYC

Wed Dec 29 17:00:33 2010

Rachel, You make a good point about science fairs. They rely almost exclusively on donations of time and money and are a great way to encourage the next generation of scientists. The American Society for Microbiology recently participated in the USA Science & Engineering Festival, which was a big success. You can watch the MicrobeWorld Video episode of it online (Part One - http://www.microbeworld.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=811:usa-science-and-engineering-festival-part-1-mwv42&catid=36:microbeworld-video&Itemid=146, and Part Two - http://www.microbeworld.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=825:mwv-episode-43-usa-science-and-engineering-festival-part-2&catid=36:microbeworld-video&Itemid=146).

Rachel makes this comment

on DIY Biotech Hacker Space Opens in NYC

Tue Dec 28 22:11:47 2010

This looks like an excellent lab. But what about motivating young scientists to participate in science fairs? The New York Times has reported that funding for local science fairs has declined greatly. Please help us increase the public’s awareness of the poor state of science fair funding by voting yes for more funding for science fairs and education. If you’re really keen to help, please leave a comment with your institution and city showing your support. http://www.americanbiotechnologist.com/blog/science-fairs-struggling-survive/

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Researchers Select Microbes to Improve Chocolate

Tue Dec 21 19:47:17 2010

Keep up the the good work. Production of better and more diverse chocolates will be so much appreciated considering the fact that the demands and the consumption of chocolates cut accross borders globally.

David Bond makes this comment

on Feeling depressed? Get dirty

Mon Dec 20 08:57:36 2010

have you ever tried to treat a person with chronic depression or cancer. with parasite medications mainly that used in causes of Massive Giardia infestation ?.

David Bond makes this comment

on TWiP 16: Giardia

Mon Dec 20 08:34:29 2010

have you ever looked into Giardia and it's links with cancer ?, as i may have some thing that could interest you.

zhoujintao makes this comment

on China's mystery HIV-like disease may be all in the mind

Mon Dec 13 17:18:15 2010

This answer only show Doctors in China can not solve the problem and give the right answer, Now thousands of people are sick and dying for this disease, they pain, they scare, they try to know the reason, microbe, retrovirus,mycoplasma viruses or other viruses. But they have got to give up for low medicine decide level. Thanks god, I know little English, and I can tell you our pain caused by this disease in English! Kind Doctors, Kind people, Please help us to find the unknown virus, we need the true reason, we want to see people in the world live in good health! If you can help us kindly please contact us. you can send email to me: leo152@sina.com! Or call me: +86-15251314913.

zhoujintao makes this comment

on China's mystery HIV-like disease may be all in the mind

Sun Dec 12 18:47:00 2010

We are sick, and puzzled by mystery HIV-like disease, while we can quietly sure to tell you it's not a sick in our mind! we Fever, rash, blood, bowel, tongue white, lymph nodes, fatigue, night sweats, mouth ulcers, mouth rot, muscle pain, tinnitus, rhinitis, pharyngitis, red eyes, muscles jumping, ring joints, skin indentation and other symptoms, then the gradual emergence of weight loss, visceral pain, joint and bone deformation, subcutaneous nodules, skin thinning, skin ulcers, hand joints and heel ulceration and even organ failure and other symptoms. From the beginning to we die, lots of AIDS-LIKE-diseases in our body, while doctor said we are afraid of AIDS, AND AIDS testing show we are not AIDS. Only our sick bodies know that they are telling a lie! China's mystery HIV-like disease may be all in the mind; it's really a voice from our doctors and Government! While a doctor with smart thinking will not trust it’s psychological illnesses, for so many people are sick caused by this disease!

Albert Sek makes this comment

on BacterioFiles Micro Edition 22 - Shocking Shewanella

Sun Dec 12 17:46:02 2010

And let us not forget that as a dissimilatory metal reducer, Shewanella has important applications in bioremediation--it can reduce chromium VI (liquid) and uranium VI (liquid) to their insoluble states.

zhoujintao makes this comment

on China's mystery HIV-like disease may be all in the mind

Sun Dec 12 17:35:17 2010

It's ture in china, who have ability to research please contact us: leo152@sina.com, waiting for your help! Than you , Thanks GOD!

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Bacteria with “force sensors”

Wed Dec 8 19:22:20 2010

Haha! For anyone that doesn't get that, check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_%28Star_Wars%29.

Frank Zambito makes this comment

on Bacteria with “force sensors”

Wed Dec 8 18:10:06 2010

I thought that force-sensing microbes were called midichlorians.

William Stevan makes this comment

on Animation depicting the life cycle of H1N1 influenza-A

Sat Nov 27 02:56:44 2010

This video is amazing!!! It is so imformative and iteresting and i love the use of this animation!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on TWiP 19: Enterobius vermicularis, the pinworm

Mon Nov 22 17:45:07 2010

Great show!

kevinyan1107 makes this comment

on The Human Body, Photographed By The Light Of Bacteria

Tue Nov 9 20:04:10 2010

at the Royal Institution. Each was taken using the light emitted by the bioluminescent bacteria Photobacterium phosphorem. Artist Anne Brodie developed the technique and exhibition in collaboration with scientist Dr Simon Park and writer Dr Caterina Albano. The subjects are revealed in an unearthly, though completely natural, light.

kevinyan1107 makes this comment

on MTS61 - Charles Bamforth - Beer: Eight Thousand Years of Biotechnology

Tue Nov 9 19:32:36 2010

Dr. Bamforth is the Anheuser-Busch Edowed Professor, selected after an international search, specializing in the science of malting and brewing. His current research program focuses primarily on the wholesomeness of beer, including studies on the psychophysics of beer perception, on polyphenols and on the residues from non-starchy polysaccharide

sam gray makes this comment

on Did life begin with a bolt from the deep blue?

Sun Oct 31 08:03:22 2010

This kind of headline is bigging up an everyday event. Currents flow all the time in many differing situations. The experiment here does not even correctly mimic the conditions undersea as far as temperature and pressure and ionic concentrarion, charge density and cspacitiance in the smoker walls etc. The bolt from the blue idea although attractive has to give way to electromagneto hydodynamical explanations now with electro including ionic dynamics. A huge starter charge is trying to replicate the compound building usually done in and arround stars, and then possibly safely transported to an early molten earth in buckyball containers,making the final configurations a matter of time and cooling and elrctro magnetic variation. As a process life would not be the first step but viruses and enzymes would, greatly simplifying the conformation building needed to create a reactive polymer. The electric charge we should be looking for is the charge transport in enzymes.

sam gray makes this comment

on BBC Podcast: Artificial Life

Sun Oct 24 11:22:43 2010

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00833zn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPE2CnThito http://www.pombrain.com/Artificial_Life Some more links on the same theme

sam gray makes this comment

on The origin of complex life – it was all about energy

Sun Oct 24 07:52:47 2010

Ah the fractal nature of life. Prokaryotes within prokaryotes..

Manuel Sanchez makes this comment

on Rinderpest Virus, Deadly in Livestock, Is No More, U.N. Says

Sun Oct 17 14:36:46 2010

Hi I think it's a little early to say that. The last Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme report says that they finished the field work. The global declaration of erradication will be in may 2011. Two years after the last vaccine inoculated in cattle. See: http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/grep/home.html http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/resources/documents/AH/GREP_flyer.pdf Regards

A Listener makes this comment

on TWiP 17: Entamoeba histolytica

Sun Oct 10 01:47:03 2010

When you were talking about acid hydrolase it reminded me of an old Saturday Night Live Sketch called "Josh Acid" starring Mel Gibson. So I had to draw a quick cartoon: http://i.imgur.com/tEbin.jpg

Cheryl makes this comment

on Scientists and Soldiers Solve a Bee Mystery

Fri Oct 8 21:40:36 2010

It is great that this is finally being acknowledged in the media. Since the North American Beekeeping Conference of Jan 2009 we (beekeepers who attended) have known all of this, and IT WORKS! They are leaving out a major factor to the 3 tier bee colapse and that is the parasite known as the varroa mite. The varroa mite which came from China 42 yrs ago via Mexico is stage 1 of CCD the parasite lives off of the honeybee (litterally) and through the wound that the varroa mite causes that vectors in the Nosema Ceranae (the fungus) and this fungus (stage 2) eats a hole in the gut of the bees and vectors in the viruses (stage 3). Take 1 & 2 and you don't have to worry about 3. What is unfortunate is that they did not acknowledge the lady scientist that discovered the Nosema Ceranae from the east coast Univ of Penn if I remember right. Also bees don't get lost they get worn out because of the 3 tier issues.

Russell Scaggs makes this comment

on One Theory Behind Adult-Onset Celiac Disease: Gut Bacteria

Mon Sep 27 21:31:27 2010

Maybe humans didn't evolve to eat grains.

Jesse Noar makes this comment

on BacterioFiles Micro Edition 13 - Formidable Filaments Found

Fri Sep 24 19:17:58 2010

Thanks! Glad to be here!

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Inside the Mind's Eye: Communicating Science in a New Media Era

Fri Sep 24 15:15:33 2010

Date of Carl's talk: Thursday, October 14, 2010 Cost: Free

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on BacterioFiles Micro Edition 13 - Formidable Filaments Found

Fri Sep 24 04:12:10 2010

Welcome to the colony Jesse!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on MTS55 - Nancy Moran - The Incredible Shrinking Microbe

Wed Sep 8 15:32:55 2010

Hi Andrew. We have actually just fixed this as of this weekend. Please let me know if you don't see any improvement. You can also try to unsubscribe and resubscribe in iTunes to see if that helps as well. Thanks for the feedback.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Bacteria seem to be doing a good cleanup job in gulf

Sat Sep 4 23:15:26 2010

This has shown again the tremendous potential of microbes, especially the bacteria as bioremediation agent. It has saved millions of Dollars that would have been used to purchase chemicals dispersants and other depollution agents.

Andrew Reed makes this comment

on MTS55 - Nancy Moran - The Incredible Shrinking Microbe

Sat Sep 4 20:30:17 2010

hello I enjoy these podcasts, when I can download them; some of them seem to download impossibly slowly - this is one of them ; please can you look into this; look forward to listening; thanks, Andrew

Chris Carter makes this comment

on The human genome is composed of viral DNA II: Individual proteins contain multiple viral inserts

Tue Aug 24 22:33:17 2010

This link will take you to the proteins concerned

Chris Carter makes this comment

on The human Genome is composed of viral DNA

Mon Aug 16 22:45:11 2010

Click here for BLAST files An idea of how this works is here

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on New superbugs spreading from South Asia: study

Thu Aug 12 14:10:53 2010

Here's another take on this same story.

ish makes this comment

on TWiP 14 Letters

Thu Aug 12 03:03:38 2010

Everybody its Vincent Rakenalo(sorry if i mispelled) This is twiv your weekly dose of virology. I love listening to your podcast very much and love to thank for this. Dont we have podocats on bacteria...like twiv, twip? Thank you Ish,EVEREST

Chris Carter makes this comment

on TWiV 94 Letters

Sun Aug 8 23:12:46 2010

The XMRV virus is undoubtedly implicated in chronic fatigue. Its proteins are similar to those of the mitochondrial respiration and energy generating system, and antibodies to the virus will also target these important human proteins. Even if the virus has been successfully eliminated, antibodies will continue to encounter the human homologues, driving an autoimmune response that effectively knocks out the mitochondrial energy generating system, and makes you tired and fatigued.

Chris Carter makes this comment

on Bad And Harmful Bacteria Share, Swap Genes

Sat Aug 7 00:02:06 2010

Bacteria replicate at an astonishing rate and at each replication there is surely a chance of polymorphisms and mutations in the "progeny" just from DNA typing errors. Their success relates to their abilty to adapt and change, so perhaps it is not too surprising that good guys can change to bad, (or vice versa).

Chris Carter makes this comment

on Publication of XMRV papers should not be blocked

Fri Aug 6 03:47:03 2010

This has been rejected by Nature, Science, and the European Journal of Immunology where, in all cases, it didn't even make it past the editors !

Chris Carter makes this comment

on Publication of XMRV papers should not be blocked

Fri Aug 6 03:36:53 2010

Some of the proteins that make up the XMRV virus closely ressemble human proteins that are involved in mitochondrial respiration and energy generation and they are also similar to proteins involved in prostate cancer.The viral proteins are immunogenic, and antibodies against the virus will also target the similar human proteins. Even if the immune system deals with and eliminates the virus, these antibodies will continue meeting the human proteins, sustaining an autoimmune response that keeps on targeting the energy and cancer related areas. This may explain the controversy over the presence and absence of XMRV in different studies. The virus doesn't need to be there, it just needs to have been there.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on The MO-Bio Blog

Mon Aug 2 02:19:09 2010

Thanks for the kind words Suzanne! Editing comments is a good idea. We have a host of new features rolling out soon, unfortunately that's not one of them

We'll keep it in mind for future updates. BTW, we have vastly improved tags if you haven't noticed.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on The MO-Bio Blog

Mon Aug 2 00:57:25 2010

It would be nice if we could edit comments..... Linkedin gives you 15 minutes or 20 minutes to make edits to your post on their groups pages. I meant to say: Where else can you get the most up-to-date collection of microbiology news all in one place? That's why I love this site.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on The MO-Bio Blog

Sun Aug 1 19:10:55 2010

Where else can you get the most collect collection of up-to-date microbiology news? I love this site- really well done with great content. Every microbiologist needs to bookmark it. Suzanne

Prof. Zaki G. Abdul-Ghani makes this comment

on How Cranberry Juice Fights Bacteria at the Molecular Level

Thu Jul 22 16:09:15 2010

Dear Prof. Cameasano and Team Sorry for rating the article as 1 It should be 5 Iam on cramberry for the last six months after having post prostat operation`s UTI. The bacteria ubfortunatly is pseudomonas. But I (feel) good control on the infection or at least much less recurrency. Being Prof/consultant in bacteriology we did some work on the (pilliation) of E.coli in relation to pH of the growth media. Do you think that cranberry juice might affect (also) pilli of other bacteria?

Sedigh makes this comment

on Scientists create a mosquito that’s ‘malaria-proof’

Tue Jul 20 12:23:28 2010

These scientist are not smart enough! Introducing a mosquito to the wild and then waht? Do the researchers really think that the mosquitos can survive in the competition? How can this mosquitoes eradicate other current not proof malaria mosquitoes? Anyway, this is not the solution!

Brian Krueger makes this comment

on Microbial world's use of metals mostly unmapped

Mon Jul 19 18:51:36 2010

Wow, sorry for the double post

I was looking at the Most popular tab and not the most recent one. I lose. My apologies! -Brian

Prof. Zaki G. Abdul-Ghani makes this comment

on Antibiotics in livestock affect humans, USDA testifies

Mon Jul 19 15:42:48 2010

[b][/b]It is an old story and since mid sixties of the last century. I joined in part as a PhD student at the university of Manchester UK 1970-1973. As long as there are a commercial and scientific approches the first will always win by at least by fideling or overshadowing or delaying the approval of the scientific findings. GOD HELP US.

Rory Meehan makes this comment

on Cancer Therapy Goes Viral: Progress Is Made Tackling Tumors with Viruses

Fri Jun 25 04:01:51 2010

Just sayin'

Rory Meehan makes this comment

on Cancer Therapy Goes Viral: Progress Is Made Tackling Tumors with Viruses

Fri Jun 25 04:01:14 2010

Isn't this how the world almost ended in the Will Smith version of I Am Legend?

Rory Meehan makes this comment

on A game of cat and mouse

Fri Jun 25 03:59:32 2010

This article blew my mind!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on ASM Live 2010

Tue Jun 22 17:54:46 2010

Both missing videos "Global Warming May Spur New Fungal Diseases" and "Influenza surveillance: Should we be monitoring swine herds?" are now posted for your viewing pleasure.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Rabies bonus feature/Thank you to L. Pastuer

Thu Jun 17 11:44:05 2010

I'm with you Rory! Thanks for the amazing images you've been uploading over the past few weeks.

Aaron Benfield makes this comment

on Garth Hogan

Tue Jun 15 14:25:15 2010

Garth - I saw that you had uploaded a pic of Plasmodium malariae. I am in desperate need of malariae specimens for the Texas DSHS public health lab. Would you be able to provide me with any?

debora makes this comment

on What is a Microbe?

Wed Jun 9 07:24:05 2010

Microbes are usually spoken about with regards to different diseases they may cause, here the video directly on this topic - http://www.videorolls.com/watch/Microbes-Video - what should we do to take care of ourselves. The most important, to my mind - to now as much as possible and not to be indifferent to your own health.

Derrick Tolly makes this comment

on ASM Live 2010

Sat May 29 19:51:10 2010

a lot*, obviously.

Derrick Tolly makes this comment

on ASM Live 2010

Sat May 29 19:50:33 2010

I agree, that was a ot of fun. Made my week.

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on ASM Live 2010

Thu May 27 16:12:16 2010

Thanks so much to everybody involved in the making of ASM Live! For all of us who couldn't make it to San Diego, it was great to be able to watch the interviews live -- and even to ask questions to the interviewees! Please keep the good work.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on The Good, the Bad and the Virulent

Thu May 27 15:34:00 2010

Baahaahaaa.....very cute and very funny!! Good job!

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on Soil Bacteria Might Increase Learning

Wed May 26 05:11:00 2010

Sounds very promising! But, injecting bacteria and inhaling them are two totally different things. I am sure the injected dose is logs higher than what would be inhaled, especially after a 5 minute walk. Also, the mice should generate a strong immune response to injected bacteria. What effect does that have, I wonder? Probably a big one.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on ASM Live 2010

Tue May 25 18:29:32 2010

Do to our server crash the recording for "Influenza surveillance: Should we be monitoring swine herds?" did not happen.

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on High bacterial counts in Canadian bottled water #ASMGM

Tue May 25 17:47:35 2010

This is an amazing story, and I'm looking forward to know how it ends. That is, I'm curious about the identity of the bacteria and, of course, the source of contamination -- and why the water companies didn't notice the problem...

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on ASM's Social Media Presence (PowerPoint Presentation) #ASMGM 2010-First Talk, Michael Schmidt

Tue May 25 13:53:35 2010

Michael, there is a problem with your file and it isn't working. You can re-upload using the edit button when you are logged in. It's by the print and email buttons. Your file isn't a Keynote file is it? It needs to be a .ppt file. I'm looking into it on the backend as well.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on ASM Live 2010

Mon May 24 21:35:58 2010

The ASM Live recording for "Global Warming May Spur New Fungal Diseases" crashed in mid-stream. Unfortunately, it is not available for post viewing.

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

on MTS50.5 - The Making of Meet the Scientist

Mon May 24 16:41:23 2010

Very interesting video. Important to watch if you are serious about getting into the podcast production.

Jesse Noar makes this comment

on BacterioFiles Episode 12

Sat May 22 13:51:56 2010

Thanks! Unfortunately I can't make it to the General Meeting this year because I will be moving that week.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on BacterioFiles Episode 12

Thu May 20 12:42:29 2010

Another engaging episode Jesse. I really enjoyed it. Will you be at the ASM General Meeting in San Diego?

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Our bees are buzzing off. But why?

Tue May 18 12:05:12 2010

FYI - on Tues. May 25th at noon PT we will be live streaming an interview with Jay Evans, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland about colony collapse disorder.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Interview with Tom Shenk about mBio, ASM's new open access journal

Mon May 17 14:06:48 2010

Let's not forget that Dr. Shenk was instrumental in bringing TWiV to microbeworld.org. Which then lead to TWiP.

AIDSlike makes this comment

on China's mystery HIV-like disease may be all in the mind

Fri May 14 01:50:19 2010

This mystery HIV-like virus in China is certainly not all in the mind. It is also spreading to other countries. For more info, see here: new mystery HIV-like virus China

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on In cancer treatment, Time is of the essence

Tue May 11 19:15:08 2010

Thank you for the amusing Morris Day & The Time visual reference, LOL.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Fratricide between pneumococci and crystal structure of LytC

Tue May 11 03:53:05 2010

Thanks for sharing the great video Manuel. FYI - you can embed most videos on the site just by entering their source URL as the link you want to share - this works for YouTube, Scivee, Vimeo, Metacafe, Daily Motion, BigThink and a few more. Or, you can customize video by using code such this {youtube}VIDEOID{/youtube}. This code also works for 30 other video sites as well. I will add all the popular codes and more details to the FAQ this week for reference.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on TWiP 9: Mala aria

Mon May 10 16:11:36 2010

We answered this in TWiP 9. According to Dickson: none.

A Listener makes this comment

on TWiP 9: Mala aria

Fri May 7 15:04:21 2010

I'm curious, if a tiger eats a human, what kind of tapeworm would the tiger get?

Edward G Platzer makes this comment

on MTS49 - Irwin Sherman - The Quest for a Malaria Vaccine: The First Hundred Years

Fri May 7 05:53:21 2010

This is an incredibly frank and lucid discussion of the past and current vaccine program for malaria. Professor Sherman has devoted his research career to malaria and is unafraid to critically assess the current lack of balance in dealing with control of malaria.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on North Face settles lawsuit over bacteria-free shoes

Thu May 6 19:13:47 2010

This sounds like a case where marketing and R&D were not on the same page. Wait...does North Face have an R&D?

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on El podcast del microbio nº 100: Helicobacter pylori

Thu May 6 14:08:19 2010

FYI - You may have noticed on the front end under the Most Recent or Most Popular view you see a bit of code. This is due to a character limit we have for that view. This is a bug we will be looking into. In the mean time, I have edited your post to have the description come first so the code for the audio doesn't get cut off before the closing tag.

Manuel Sanchez makes this comment

on El Podcast del Microbio: Amor de Madre

Thu May 6 07:30:54 2010

Mistake corrected Error corregido

Manuel Sanchez makes this comment

on El Podcast del Microbio: Amor de Madre

Wed May 5 17:44:06 2010

I made a mistake when I posted the audio. Instead of the correct one, I post an audio dedicated to Helicobacter pylori Cometí un error al postear esta noticia y en lugar del audio correcto puse el link a otro dedicado a Helicobacter pilory.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Tue May 4 14:54:52 2010

I think the target is educators and students, although researchers and the general public can find value in your podcast too. You distill down some complex papers in your episodes which is very helpful for getting people interested in the science and helps explain the importance of the results in way anyone can understand.

Jesse Noar makes this comment

Tue May 4 02:18:06 2010

Thanks, Chris! I would like to put them out weekly, but I don't know if I have the time at this point. Maybe if I find a co-host that would be more feasible. I am glad you find it helpful. Out of curiosity, what do you think the target audience for this sort of podcast is/should be?

Betsy Smeed makes this comment

on Martian Gypsum May Preserve Microbe Fossils

Sun May 2 15:17:30 2010

This combines two of my favorite things, microbes and mineralogy.

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on Mundo de los Microbios - Episodio 51

Fri Apr 30 09:26:04 2010

Me alegro mucho de ver que la Sociedad Española de Microbiología (SEM) está colaborando en la producción de "Mundo de los Microbios". ¡Mi enhorabuena a la ASM y a la SEM por esta colaboración!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Beer consumption increases human attractiveness to malaria mosquitoes

Thu Apr 29 21:39:36 2010

Jesse, I enjoy your podcast a lot. My only comment would be that it would be great if you could put them out once a week instead of every other week. I find this to be a great resource for keeping up with the latest research published. I usually listen to it on my commute to work. I think in time you will become even more comfortable on the mic, but that comes with experience and practice. Hope this helps.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

Sun Apr 25 17:30:25 2010

That explains a lot. My guy wonders why he's so popular with mosquitoes. I'd like to see a study with drinkers of Captain and Coke next.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on TWiP 8: Frog legs and parasite tales

Sat Apr 24 11:51:58 2010

Miso, thanks for your comments. Glad you liked this slightly different episode. We'll aim to do the same with TWiV. As for TWiB - stay tuned; it's in the planning stages.

Miso Beno makes this comment

on TWiP 8: Frog legs and parasite tales

Fri Apr 23 22:03:36 2010

Anecdote shows like this one add a human spin on the study of parasite and parasitism. I really enjoyed this week's show and would love to hear shows like this on a weekly basis. (I'd like to hear some TWiVs that are in the same vein as well.) On a slightly unrelated I would also subscribe to a TWiB if it became available. Though I have no educational experience in the field of microbiology outside of what I have learned through the internet and in my high school biology courses I find your shows completely irresistible. Your podcasts make me want to shift my undergraduate program from my generic liberal arts degree to hard science.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on The Attendee's Guide to Scientific Meetings, Part II

Fri Apr 23 16:12:36 2010

Thanks Chris! Good tips before ASM. I'll summarize and link it to an article at MO BIO's blog too.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on Baby wipe solution recalled due to bacteria contamination

Fri Apr 23 13:55:54 2010

Wow- first mouthwash and now baby wipes. Canada's been having a tough time lately. Those are two things that you wouldn't expect to need to test for microbial contamination.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on A State Microbe For Cheese-Crazed Wisconsin?

Fri Apr 23 04:26:20 2010

California could be the Cyanobacteria Synechococcus CC9311 , found in the coastal waters of the Pacific: Surf’s Up—And One Coastal Microbe Has Adapted http://bit.ly/9zUPXW

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on Mouthwash recalled on bacteria fears

Thu Apr 22 23:48:11 2010

Pseudomonas can live in pretty much anything, It's a little disconcerting that the manufacturer made contaminated mouthwash for three years before it was discovered.

Jesse Noar makes this comment

Thu Apr 22 12:00:29 2010

Thanks! I agree: it's very interesting. I'm always fascinated to hear how much such small organisms affect us!

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on DO’s and DON’Ts for Isolation of DNA and RNA from Biofilm

Thu Apr 22 05:35:01 2010

Enjoyable podcast. I met one of the postdocs who worked on the sushi project at the Gordon Research Conference last summer. It is a really interesting body of work!

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

Wed Apr 21 20:10:57 2010

No you don't :-) I really want people to discuss biofilm! I need a few 5 star ratings, while you're reading. Go ahead, make my day.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on DO’s and DON’Ts for Isolation of DNA and RNA from Biofilm

Wed Apr 21 13:46:16 2010

NIce. LOL You know I am going to have to change the formula now

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Microbes set on a mission to fight groundwater pollution

Tue Apr 20 21:38:53 2010

Indeed, this is a good and unique discovery.It has the potential of solving problems associated with water-borne diseases.It may also be useful in bioremediation of polluted water.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on DO’s and DON’Ts for Isolation of DNA and RNA from Biofilm

Tue Apr 20 21:32:39 2010

Anyone else have some tips for biofilm molecular biology work?

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Germs, bathrooms and door handles...

Tue Apr 20 02:29:30 2010

Good job Jason! I love how you don't try to sensationalize or purposely generate unrealistic concerns over microbes for these kinds of stories. In the US, when these types of clips air, they are often wrapped in alarmist language and are designed more for shock value than educational value.

Akin Olagoke Ogunleye makes this comment

on Almost out of this world life found right here on Earth

Sat Apr 17 22:03:30 2010

This discovery can be of tremendous use in the bioremediation of oil spillages . It should be given a wider dissemination.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Facebook for Scientists

Thu Apr 15 14:44:40 2010

Alan Cann of Microbiology Bytes may have said it best on his Twitter response.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Bushmeat Presents Latest Food Scare

Thu Apr 15 14:38:39 2010

Speaking of bush meat. Virologist Nathan Wolfe talks quite a bit about this subject at a recently live-streamed event MicrobeWorld filmed at Busboys & Poets in DC last month. Click here to watch the video.

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Facebook for Scientists

Wed Apr 14 18:37:58 2010

This is a colossal waste of money, given that there are many free tools available on the web that enable social interaction among scientists. The funds would have been far better spent supporting the research of new scientists.

Sarah Lang makes this comment

on TWiP 6: Tapeworms, the long and short of it

Thu Apr 8 00:24:04 2010

Finally got to sit down and listen to this one I loved it. I listen to a lot (and I mean a lot) of science podcasts and I have to say that TWiP is my new favorite. Yay tapeworms! Hopefully the next one is coming sooner, rather than later???

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on TWiV 76: XMRV with Professor Stephen Goff

Tue Apr 6 13:33:08 2010

Thanks Vincent for another interesting interview. If you are reading this and would like to know the latest on XMRV research please listen to this well rounded conversation on the topic. Stephen Goff does a great job on discussing the potential links between XMRV, prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Science and Nature to publish new open access journal

Sat Apr 3 20:23:37 2010

I love how the fake April fools item makes it to the top of the most popular submissions on the site. And yes Ramy, PLoS is certainly one of the more innovative journals out there. But more and more are following their example. ASM's new mBio is a case in point. There is also Nature's Preceedings which is similar in spirit to the faux news release from AAAS.

Ramy K. Aziz makes this comment

on Science and Nature to publish new open access journal

Fri Apr 2 20:17:50 2010

Regardless of the April fools factor, such journal won't be really needed because all this innovation is almost done by PLoS journals...

Barbara Hyde makes this comment

on Good for you but don't do it in public!

Fri Apr 2 05:14:53 2010

I recall the Erol Flynn autobiography "My Wicked, Wicked Ways." He got into a confrontation in the Mediterranean while on a yacht and sustained a serious HUMAN bite. He almost lost his arm. Give me a (nonrabid) dog bite any day.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Virus hunting in Cameroon: by Nature Video

Sun Mar 28 02:00:28 2010

Nathan Wolfe talks quite a bit about bush meat and virus transmission in this live talk that was recently hosted by the Koshland Science Museum in DC.

Jesse Noar makes this comment

on BacterioFiles Episode 8

Sat Mar 27 19:54:22 2010

Thanks! I think you just about doubled my subscribers.

Jesse Noar makes this comment

on Sucker-Like Structures on the Pathogenic Amoeba Naegleria fowleri

Sat Mar 27 19:52:38 2010

Thanks! I fixed it.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Fri Mar 26 14:12:48 2010

Congrats on being selected for the featured photo of the week.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Facebook 'linked to rise in syphilis' in Britain

Thu Mar 25 21:16:19 2010

Here's Facebook's follow up to the study.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on Mineral Studies Advance Antibacterial Alternatives

Wed Mar 24 01:44:36 2010

Really interesting article, because it is very difficult to isolate DNA from microbes in clay soils. Maybe it's because some of them are dead. Probably not the spore-formers though.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on Sucker-Like Structures on the Pathogenic Amoeba Naegleria fowleri

Wed Mar 24 01:18:32 2010

I love this photo Francine!! Thanks for sharing it.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Art,Science Mixer At Mission Bay

Tue Mar 23 19:50:30 2010

The salt deposit building design image is amazing looking.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Tue Mar 23 00:58:39 2010

You can edit your own posts by clicking the pen and paper icon that appears to the right of Print and Email This on the same line as the title of your submission. Links on front end submissions have been disabled for security reasons, but I will look into rethinking that idea.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on BacterioFiles Episode 8

Mon Mar 22 15:03:55 2010

Another fine episode. Thanks! I am not sure if you are a fan of ASM's Facebook Fan Page but I promoted BacterioFiles for you on the wall.

Jesse Noar makes this comment

on 18 Things You Need to Know for Job Hunting Success in Biotech

Sat Mar 20 13:55:28 2010

Thanks Chris! Glad to know you liked it. I found out how to embed audio right after I posted this, but unfortunately I think I can't edit it. I'll do better next time. Do you know if there's any way to embed links?

Oivind Fragell makes this comment

on Oivind Fragell

Fri Mar 19 11:20:09 2010

STOP PHOTOS

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Tobacco bacterias are potential cause of URI's

Thu Mar 18 03:27:33 2010

Bacteria found include:

Campylobacter, which can cause food poisoning; Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia — all of which are associated with pneumonia and other infections; E. coli; and a number of Staphylococcus species that underlie serious hospital-associated infections.

Betsy Smeed makes this comment

Wed Mar 17 16:29:34 2010

Since I'm looking for a job...

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Resourceful Science: How to Build a Plate Centrifuge for $25

Wed Mar 17 15:30:20 2010

This is great. I love DIY solutions. Thanks for sharing.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Sputnik, the first Virophage: I’m on the Radio, I’m on the Video

Wed Mar 17 15:25:01 2010

Hey Jesse, thanks for launching BacteroFiles. I listened to it on my way to work this morning. I'm now a subscriber. By the way, you can embed a audio player in your MicrobeWorld submission by using the following code {mp3remote}THE-URL-OF-YOUR-MP3-FILE{/mp3remote} Make sure you are using the squirrelly-looking brackets.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

Fri Mar 12 14:45:38 2010

Cool article! Thanks for posting.

candy Estrada Ayala makes this comment

on MTS44 Michael Worobey - In Search of the Origin of HIV and H1N1's Hidden History

Wed Mar 10 08:04:04 2010

It really doesn't sound like news to me. I believe parents put more time into teaching girls to be more clean than they do with boys. You should never forget to wash your hand when you go to the restroom even if you don't actually "go" or you just go in to use the mirror because there are lots of bacterias.

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on "Cheese trafficking" detected in El Paso

Sat Mar 6 23:51:12 2010

Who knew there was a black market for cheese?

Jim Hardy makes this comment

on A Hidden Trigger of Obesity: Intestinal Bugs

Fri Mar 5 14:56:17 2010

A little infusion of salmonella, ensuing nausea, diarrhea and dehydration, problem solved!

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on Parents' vaccination fears remain high

Tue Mar 2 17:30:33 2010

Did you read the comments left below the LA Times article?

Suzanne Kennedy makes this comment

on Deadly Flu Virus Made In A Lab

Sun Feb 28 18:19:15 2010

I wonder if this type of report is worded appropriately for the public. They already see scientists as "playing god". Creating three "terrifyingly virulent and powerful new strains" of flu will be difficult to communicate without causing alarm. It would be nice to see a sentence or two on how they were immediately destroyed or maybe how they were mutated so they cannot replicate. You get my meaning. In light of how scientific information on vaccines and autism has been mishandled with the public, I hope we are learning to be sensitive to how information is presented to non-scientists.

Troy makes this comment

Sat Feb 27 02:23:46 2010

Dr. Worobey mentioned routine male neonatal circumcision "overall reduces the transmission of the virus quite a lot." I think his information was mixed with promoting safer sex practices; like condom use which squash ANY insignificant benefit that routinely mutilating either sex before an age of conscious consent would bring. If not having a foreskin had ANY benefit to mammals of ANY kind we would see more then two species of mammals without them.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on What is a Microbe?

Wed Feb 24 21:53:21 2010

Hi Carolyn, here's the view you were asking about.

Carolyn Jeschke makes this comment

on What is a Microbe?

Wed Feb 24 19:45:19 2010

Is there anyway to get this information as it was formatted previously? We use this to teach and the old site worked much better.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Suzanne Kennedy

Thu Feb 18 20:20:37 2010

Thanks for your recent submissions Suzanne. We appreciate it.

diego rey makes this comment

Tue Feb 9 13:34:03 2010

I arrived at this page via Twitter: "Could a virus have caused your back pain?: Antibiotics are being investigated as a new way to treat chronic lower ... http://bit.ly/b7LqoE" virus + antibiotics?! I didn't expect that from Microbe World.

Tabb Sullivan makes this comment

on Bacteria Turn Microgears

Sun Jan 31 14:25:31 2010

I take slight issue with the statement that bacteria love o2. These bacteria are aerobes and therefore use oxygen in energy production, but oxygen is inherently toxic and there are so many obligate anaerobes that can't detoxify oxygen and can't grow in the presence of oxygen.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on From Throat to Mind: Strep Today, Anxiety Later?

Tue Jan 26 17:01:55 2010

Thanks for the comment. According to the article (click "source" read) it has to do with the antibodies produced by the body in reaction to strep. These antibodies have been shown to still be present in the blood once strep has been cleared from our systems. And in animals they are seeing deposits of these antibodies left in the brain. Check out the article and search for the others, using keywords, that we have posted here on the site to get a more complete vision of what might be going on with strep and the mind.

linda mccain makes this comment

on From Throat to Mind: Strep Today, Anxiety Later?

Tue Jan 19 09:42:06 2010

why would strep cause OCD. I don't see any relation between the two.

Richard Simpson makes this comment

on CFS patients in UK show no signs of suspect virus

Mon Jan 11 18:27:15 2010

"This study did not duplicate the rigorous scientific techniques used by WPI, the National Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic, therefore it cannot be considered a replication study nor can the results claim to be anything other than a failure not just to detect XMRV, but also a failure to suggest meaningful results." http://www.wpinstitute.org/news/docs/WPI_Erlwein_010610.pdf

Richard Simpson makes this comment

on XMRV not detected in UK chronic fatigue syndrome patients

Mon Jan 11 17:18:45 2010

John Corte makes this comment

on Happy Nerdy Holidays

Sat Jan 9 11:30:29 2010

Oh I missed this, happy 2010 for all.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Understanding Bacteria (1/5)

Thu Jan 7 16:30:37 2010

Very cool. Including Stanley Falkow there are three people in this first part who have also appeared on the Meet The Scientist podcast. Hear more about Jo Handelsman's work on episode 23 and Abigail Salyers on episode 33. Listen to episode 9 to hear and in-depth interview with Stanley Falkow. You can find all of these interviews and more on the Meet the Scientist homepage.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Thirsty? Bacteria linked to feces found on soda fountains

Thu Jan 7 16:07:46 2010

Wow I could have gone without knowing this. It's a bit puzzling because I'm assuming the way the coliform bacteria gets on the fountain is via hand transmission yet I don't see a reason why the part of the fountain that delivers the soda would ever be touched. I hope they start making the cleaning of fountain soda machines (at least a wipe down) a regular thing at fast food restaurants, 7 Elevens, etc. Ignorance can be such bliss. I don't imagine enjoying a soda fountain in quite the same way again.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on MTS41 - Sallie Chisholm - Harvesting the Sun

Thu Jan 7 11:21:46 2010

Good idea Don. I added the title and link to her book on Amazon in the post itself.

Don Smith makes this comment

on MTS41 - Sallie Chisholm - Harvesting the Sun

Thu Jan 7 00:50:55 2010

It is always so refreshing to hear a scientist say that they don't understand how something works, yet! Perhaps you should put the name of her new children's book in the printed section somewhere - Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring The Earth To Life

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Possible circumcision-HIV prevalence explanation

Wed Jan 6 20:07:12 2010

Thanks Jonathan. I appreciate it when scientists publicly comment on news stories like this to help frame the information accurately and within context of the data. Try this link as the one above is broken to read Jonathan's blog post about it.

Jonathan Eisen makes this comment

on Possible circumcision-HIV prevalence explanation

Wed Jan 6 18:55:28 2010

See http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com/2010/01/plosone-paper-keywords-revealing-penis.html for a discussion of why the connection between this study and HIV is weak and see how the lead scientist of the study is working to get the press release changed to be more accurate

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Bacteria May Cause H1N1 Death Rate Increase

Tue Jan 5 17:23:19 2010

This Week in Virology #59 featured a discussion of the Argentine story with the authors, Gustavo Palacios and Mady Hornig. Check it out at http://www.twiv.tv/2009/11/22/twiv-59-dog-bites-virus/

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Happy Nerdy Holidays

Fri Dec 18 17:45:25 2009

Thanks for sharing this. The idea of eating a petri dish cookie seems a little dangerous to me, LOL. I also dug around on the site and found the sugar cookie recipe is from (Martha Stewart). I may try to make these over the weekend.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Happy Nerdy Holidays

Fri Dec 18 14:44:33 2009

Cool idea, Karen!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Susan Tomchak

Fri Dec 18 04:15:12 2009

Susan, You have definitely built an interesting collection of material. It looks as if you have designed a curriculum for an introductory microbiology course. Thanks for taking the time to do this. It's definitely an interesting use case for the site and we appreciate your efforts. Let me know if there are any features you think can be improved or would like implemented. By the way, it would be great if you would make your profile public. Chris

Susan Tomchak makes this comment

on Small Things Considered - 2009 in Review

Thu Dec 17 17:16:12 2009

ouhyhhhhhhuuh

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Mucus sheet showing closely adherent bacteria

Wed Dec 16 21:35:29 2009

Sorry this is off centered but that's the way the slide is.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Wall Street Journal story on hand sanitizer claims

Wed Dec 16 21:17:32 2009

Congrats on making it into the WSJ Jason! That's fantastic.

Susan Tomchak makes this comment

on Virus or Bacterium?

Wed Dec 16 17:16:29 2009

g00d artiicl3

Betsy Smeed makes this comment

on Puzzling 'Dance' of Electricity-Producing Bacteria Near Energy Sources

Wed Dec 16 14:09:26 2009

I missed the other post about this, sorry for the double post.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Escherichia coli and Salmonella derby

Fri Dec 11 17:08:40 2009

Oh cool! I didn't know E. coli would grow that well on XLD, that stuff is nasty.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Food Safety 101 (MWV33)

Fri Dec 11 05:54:27 2009

I'm a not so recent graduate student in microbiology at ISU and I am going to have to side with Chris on this. Depending on the ingredients and conditions that pizza is stored under it could potentially become unsafe to eat and I would not be willing to risk my reputation on that one. I am not sure if your statement about being a microbiology undergrad means that you are a freshman or if it means you are a recent graduate but you really should be more careful throwing around advice, remember that with great education comes great responsibility. When I give food safety advice I tend to lean on the side of caution. I worked in the food industry for 4 years and our motto was the classic, "When in doubt throw it out." That said the Chef in this video goes to an extreme, most food microbiologists would never suggest throwing food out if it is properly stored after only one day. When I discuss microbiology with people I try to emphasize that most bacteria are harmless but at the same time give them tips and strategies on how they can protect themselves and their families from the ones that can cause illness. I always try and determine the situation that person and their family is in when I do this and balance the information I give people because I do not want them to be scared but safe and informed.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Food Safety 101 (MWV33)

Fri Dec 11 04:35:50 2009

Thanks for the great feedback David. I agree that throwing food out after one day in the fridge is a little extreme, but I feel it's better to be cautious when it comes to foodborne illness. Please note that there is a disclaimer in the credits that points out all statements and opinions are not to be considered official statements of the Society. In the next food-related video we do, we'll make sure to consider your well thought out observations. As far as eating pizza that's been left out all night, I wouldn't touch it. But hey, that's me. I myself have had a serious bout of foodborne illness that required hospitalization, so I am probably a little more wary than most folks. The golden rule is that you shouldn't consume food that has been left out for more than two hours.

David Barrar makes this comment

on Food Safety 101 (MWV33)

Wed Dec 9 06:21:14 2009

I'm a recent microbiologist undergrad from OSU. I have worked in the Food Industry for almost 3 years. I watched this video and felt it was teaching people to be overly cautions with food. They guy who said he throws food away after one day is crazy. I always tell my friends its OK to eat pizza that was left out over night. When you are considering food safety, you have to keep in mind what you are trying to avoid. There are only a small handful of microbes that will cause food-poisoning. And the only way for that pathogen to get in your food is if it's there in the first place. If you drop raw chicken on your pizza and leave it out overnight.....then yes you will probably get sick. Pathogens don't appear out of thin air, they have to be present in the first place, and depending on the conditions (temp, moisture, competing bacteria, etc..), variable time to grow to a high population. I don't want anyone to become a "germ-a-phoebe" after watching something that should be educational.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Bacteria seen swimming the electron shuffle

Tue Dec 8 17:32:40 2009

If anyone has seen the videos, please post them. I'd love to see this!

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Germ Proof Your Kids (MWV26)

Tue Dec 8 03:39:41 2009

This is a great take on this very important issue. I think I am going to need to get a copy of that book and if it is as good as it seems from the video it'll be something I will recommend for all parents to read. And that little curly haired blond boy is totally adorable!

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on State considers naming official microbe

Fri Dec 4 21:53:52 2009

This is great! I love that they are considering a beneficial organism as there is so much focus on the "bad" bacteria that most people do not realize how important and beneficial bacteria are. I have encountered many people who do not even know that there are "good" bacteria and are shocked when I tell them that most bacteria are beneficial and essential to life both from a global perspective as well as for individual human beings.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on State considers naming official microbe

Fri Dec 4 16:05:42 2009

What a wonderful idea. Unfortunately this article doesn't mention the proposed bacterium by name which is why I a. Giving this 3 stars. The cheese making microbe under consideration is Lactococcus lactis What would you propose would be your State's microbe?

Vincent Racaniello makes this comment

on Swine flu mutation fears may be premature

Wed Nov 25 16:18:27 2009

A better article on this issue can be found at http://www.virology.ws/2009/11/24/the-d225g-change-in-2009-h1n1-influenza-virus-is-not-a-concern/. No one seems to be mentioning the fact that D225G also severely impairs transmission of H1N1 viruses in ferrets.

Jimmy Rogers makes this comment

on Two Fresh Sleeves of LB/Tet Plates

Mon Nov 23 23:41:14 2009

Mmm, yeah fair enough. If I were pouring EXACTLY 10mLs in each plate I'd probably get 100 plates from each liter, but there are little things like avoiding dropping the stir bar from the bottom that cut down on my productivity a little. Also, I kind of like thicker plates for now since I'm trying to encourage growth as much as possible...been getting fairly small, wimpy colonies recently :P I did just start using a 2L flask with a very narrow (think chemistry-oriented) neck that is just perfect for precise pouring

Jimmy Rogers makes this comment

on A Plethora of Phenotypes

Mon Nov 23 23:36:25 2009

Thanks Ray...I'm glad that ASM has really gone out there and done some neat stuff with new media

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on A Plethora of Phenotypes

Mon Nov 23 15:21:18 2009

Hey Jimmy this is a very cool, do-it-yourself, behind the scenes video! I look forward to seeing more of this type of content. It's cool to see into your lab and get a personal perspective of your work.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Two Fresh Sleeves of LB/Tet Plates

Mon Nov 23 14:54:39 2009

I get almost that out of 250ml... I am known for pouring thin and my differential media works better when poured thin, which is good considering how expensive it is!

Heather Gontz makes this comment

on Streptococcus pneumoniae

Tue Nov 17 22:50:46 2009

There it is. Nice and lancet shaped

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on The Winged Scourge featuring the Seven Dwarfs

Tue Nov 17 18:16:24 2009

Ha, ha! What a great film! I love old Disney movies. But it's so sad that, after 66 years, malaria still brings sickness and misery to millions of people around the world...

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on 1976 Swine Flu Vaccination via Jet Injector

Thu Nov 12 15:50:13 2009

Has anyone ever gotten a shot from one of these? Do they hurt?

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Vatican looks to heavens for signs of alien life

Wed Nov 11 04:01:37 2009

LOL, the first sentence is the best!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on A broader-spectrum antiviral?

Tue Nov 10 15:04:32 2009

FYI - You need a paid subscription to Science to access this article.

Raw Oyster makes this comment

on FDA to ban sale of raw oysters from Gulf of Mexico

Fri Nov 6 16:22:26 2009

No... the FDA is not trying to ban the sale of raw oysters. They are trying to make raw oysters safe by requiring them to be post harvest processed so that 15 or more individuals do not continue to die each year. I don't understand why that is so hard to understand and I don't understand why articles such as this one is wrongly portraying what the FDA is trying to do. There is NO BAN proposed by the FDA, simply guidelines on the processing and sale of raw oysters. My father died from eating raw oysters and he was not aware of that the risks of raw oysters included death from contracting a flesh eating bacteria through raw oysters. It is the FDA's responsibility to keep people safe. '

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Scientists for a Better PCR

Thu Nov 5 02:45:03 2009

Best research equipment commercial EVER!

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on The Lab Safety Song

Wed Nov 4 22:18:56 2009

Very funny! Not quite how I would clean up a radioactive spill though

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on FDA smackdown pits bacteria against bacteria

Mon Nov 2 15:53:14 2009

This is definitely a fresh take on how to ensure food safety. Hopefully all of their tests and research pan out.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Halloween and H1N1

Thu Oct 29 01:08:55 2009

Thanks Jason! I love how you are CTV's go to microbiologist. We need one of you here in the US.

Stephanie makes this comment

on Have your rotten food or dead bugs scanned with a benchtop SEM for free!

Tue Oct 20 19:52:46 2009

Please feel free to pass this information along to anyone you think might be interested. If you would like to post it to your own blog or website to share, please contact me asap at: stephaniepl@brandingbrand.com.

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on The Nature of Phages (video)

Sun Oct 18 19:49:29 2009

Great video! More information about phage therapy can be found at http://is.gd/4pzoz

Cesar Sanchez makes this comment

on The Virus That Cures - Bacteriophage

Sun Oct 18 18:53:22 2009

More information about phage therapy can be found here: http://is.gd/4pzoz

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on The Nature of Phages (video)

Fri Oct 16 15:00:25 2009

Check out this documentary on phage therapy by the BBC if you are interested in this topic.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Is the person next to you washing their hands with soap?

Thu Oct 15 15:23:36 2009

LOL, I was jut about to post this story and it got tagged as a duplicate. Soap it off or eat it later!

Cal Sagadraca makes this comment

on Interview with Paul Turner - The Evolution of Disease

Thu Oct 15 14:15:49 2009

wow wow wow wow thgis is so cool dude

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Tracking Counterfeit Anti-malarial Drugs in Southeast Asia

Wed Oct 14 14:14:01 2009

This is an awesome bit of investigation. I can't believe the ending, but hopefully there will be continued enforcement.

Carl Zimmer makes this comment

on MTS36 - Dennis Bray - Living Computers

Mon Oct 12 22:23:46 2009

Thanks, Bob. I write a little about Bray's work in my book Microcosm. I hadn't spoken to him before; it was great to really plunge into the research.

Bob Terrace makes this comment

on MTS36 - Dennis Bray - Living Computers

Mon Oct 12 20:18:55 2009

This is a fascinating podcast. Prof. Bray game an enormous amount of information. I wonder if he covered his whole book. This must have terrific for you, Carl, since he talked about E. coli.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Are you bathing in bacteria?

Fri Oct 9 17:04:08 2009

Echoing Jere Sanborn's comment (left on the articles originating page via link), you left out what matters most to me here, what can I do!? Changing to baths is not the solution so what can I do to protect myself better? A once a month bleach soak? Or this is coming via the water shooting into my face and therefore it will always really be present. If it is accumulating in the shower head then certainly a bleach soak would help a lot? That said, I agree that we, as humans, have good natural defenses and if I worried about all of these type articles I'd go insane. I guess this one connects with me because I recently wondered about this on my own and actually performed a bleach soak of my shower head. It looks like I'll just be working that same procedure into my normal bathroom cleaning regime.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on TWiV 52: Scott Hammer, MD on AIDS vaccines

Fri Oct 9 10:51:09 2009

Thank you for the Scott Hammer interview. This was really enlightening in regards to the potential impact of the Thai HIV clinical trial success.

Elliott Mejia makes this comment

on Humans as Host

Thu Oct 8 01:41:52 2009

Wow thats cool and nasty at the same time. but if there were more bacteria living in us then our own cells, then how much weight to the human body do they contribute I wonder?

Mariya makes this comment

Wed Oct 7 20:24:33 2009

Yea no kidding if guys don't wash their hands that's just sick, I'm sorry but i would feel so grossed out if guy touched me after the bathroom trip and didn't wash his hands. I think that females wash their hands more frequently because they cook and clean and no one likes having sticky hands.

Cody Vaughn makes this comment

Wed Oct 7 06:00:13 2009

Since i have been a kid handwashing has been a must for me. Now knowing the facts about why we need clean hands i am so happy i was a weird kid. Handwashing is so important to live a healthy life.

Chris makes this comment

Wed Oct 7 04:18:26 2009

Handwashing is essential to wellness. It keeps the bad bacteria down and the good bacteria safe. I know everyone is using the alcohol based sanitizer, but that kills the good bacteria that you need to stay healthy.

Sandra R makes this comment

on photograph of erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection in the thumb of an abattoir worker

Wed Oct 7 03:14:53 2009

Yuk! Of course it is the guys fault. They most times have to touch themselves when they use the restroom. Then if they don't wash their hands & touch everything else...so yuk! It is gross when women don't wash their hands either but most times they are not touching themselves. Sandra

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on E. Coli Path Shows Flaws in Beef Inspection

Mon Oct 5 19:38:51 2009

This is a good article that outlines the difficulty of ensuring the food safety of ground beef.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

Mon Oct 5 14:17:21 2009

most of these photos are circa 1985

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on USDA Food Saftey Video for Pregnant Women

Fri Oct 2 20:05:50 2009

Thanks! This adds some balance to the Raw Milk video that was just posted earlier! LOL

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Probiotics: Looking Underneath the Yogurt Label

Wed Sep 30 04:26:08 2009

Not only is there significant difference between strains but also in the host organisms (be they human or animal) that can also make it difficult to prove if a potentially probiotic organism is in fact health benefiting. Between the science being very behind in this area and the fear of bacteria/microbes/germs in the general public it can be very difficult working in this area as I do. Just try to explain to your mother that you are trying to incorporate bacteria originally isolated from fecal material into food for human consumption...

Nur Sarah Hannin makes this comment

on UCF Professor Finds New Way Deadly Food-Borne Bacteria Spread

Fri Sep 25 06:04:42 2009

The process, which gradually overwhelms the second cell’s ability to defend itself from infection, is featured in this week’s edition of the science journal Nature Cell Biology.

Nur Sarah Hannin makes this comment

on Researchers find first evidence of virus in malignant prostate cells

Fri Sep 25 06:01:17 2009

Prostate cancer is expected to strike nearly 200,000 U.S. males this year, making it the second most common form of cancer, outside of skin cancers, among men.

Nur Sarah Hannin makes this comment

on Where Will Synthetic Biology Lead Us?

Fri Sep 25 05:57:10 2009

He envisions a much larger expansion of the discipline, engineering cells to manufacture substances like biofuels.

Nur Sarah Hannin makes this comment

on Mystery immunity could boost swine flu protection

Fri Sep 25 05:50:23 2009

This was because the pandemic virus spread faster than would be expected if there were widespread immunity to it, and because antibodies to the seasonal vaccine do not cross-react with it.

Nur Sarah Hannin makes this comment

on A world first: Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection

Fri Sep 25 04:39:20 2009

I SEARCH THIS WEBSITE IN MY BOOK.I CANT'T BELIEVE THERE IS A VACCIN FOR HIV....BUT,WHEN THIS WEBSITE HAS TOLD ME,I BELIEVE IT.

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

on Swine flu inspires new video game

Thu Sep 24 18:45:17 2009

If your interested in learning why Public Health Officials are worried about Swine Flu I encourage you to explore flu simulation game that was s created by the head of Virology, Professor Ab Osterhaus and his colleagues at the Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands as part of an awareness campaign for H1N1. This game has it all. Microbiology, public policy and even goes so far as to explore the consequences of "throwing some money at the system". Enjoy, its addicting and what's more its accurate.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on What to do with dirty diapers?

Wed Sep 23 12:29:08 2009

FYI Polly was born at 5:50 p.m. ET 9-22-09 in DC weighing in at 7 lbs 10 oz and 19" tall

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Mystery immunity could boost swine flu protection

Sat Sep 19 01:22:37 2009

I liked this.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on 'Make your own ethanol' refineries hit US market

Wed Sep 16 16:28:55 2009

My dad brews his own beer, my mom isn't too happy about it, she would kill me if I told him about this!

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on New 'adjuvant' could hold future of vaccine development

Tue Sep 15 05:07:58 2009

It would be great to get a good effective as well as safe adjuvant approved in the US. If it costs less than the vaccine itself there is a chance it could lower the costs of the vaccinations it is in by lowering the amount needed per patient.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on The Morning Shower, aka Bacteria Bath

Tue Sep 15 04:49:43 2009

Dr. Pace came to Iowa State as a guest speaker in our Interdepartmental Microbiology Program seminar last year and presented his findings on this topic and others. One area they have also tested with similar findings is heated indoor swimming pools. The seminar ends around 5:00pm and I normally attend a water aerobics class at 5:30pm that day of the week and so wore my bathing suit on under my clothes so I could walk to the gym after seminar. I found it funny attending a seminar discussing how heated indoor pools and shower heads (particularly older ones), tend to harbor all those different species of Mycobacteria and then going to do a fitness class in a heated indoor pool and taking a shower in an old locker room with obviously old shower heads right after. He gave a very good seminar, I am glad he agreed to accept our invitation to come out here.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on First Isolation of MRSA found in West Coast Beaches

Sun Sep 13 14:58:36 2009

Check out Seattle local NBC affiliate KING5 News' report and video segment here.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on File Under 'Cool Art Department' - Glass Microbiology

Fri Sep 11 00:13:19 2009

That is so cool! My little sister is an artist and sometimes makes me microbiology themed pieces, I love them and the concept of the worlds of art and microbiology/science coming together. Keep up the great work Luke, and thanks for sharing this Chris.

Anne Baxter makes this comment

on Swine Flu Upsets Rituals of Greeting

Thu Sep 10 17:39:21 2009

Unfortunately, the 'Palagi' handshake is also recognized in this culture and I've commonly seen it used as a greeting formality with outsiders.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Al Jazeera Explores Swine Flu and Media Reporting

Wed Sep 9 21:41:20 2009

I definitely believe that the traditional media dropped the ball on this big time! The new media is a problem too but to me the traditional media is worse because it is supposed to be credible. While many people are misinformed by new media there is also some knowledge that the internet does contain misinformation. With traditional media they have a reputation of being a factual source of information and I believe more people trust what they see or read from that source. More and more traditional media is failing, they are biased, they sensationalize stories to get ratings, and sometimes they blatantly lie (re: memo about former President Bush's national guard service). And they wonder why they are failing? When the only thing you have over the new media is credibility and you lose that credibility you have nothing. I've made another comment on this site expressing concern over the crying wolf scenario. With each outbreak sensationalized and then turning out to not be the end of the world as we know it as the media spun it people get more and more desensitized. Influenza can be a very dangerous virus and we very well could see another exceptionally deadly strain form like the one in 1918. With things as they are we could see a much higher number of deaths because many people are not educated on how to protect themselves and may not realize the severity of the situation in time to get that education because they did not believe the media's crying wolf. Panic and fear may be great for ratings but they cause more harm than good in the real world.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Peter Palese on H1N1/Influenza, Porcine and Otherwise

Wed Sep 9 16:45:06 2009

Very well done, I will definitely be sending people this link. I really like the fact that he presented this information in a way that I feel people without a background in virology, immunology or related fields can understand it. He managed to express the importance of vaccination and disease prevention with the message that this virus is not something that people should panic over but rather keep an eye on and do what they can to prevent contracting and spreading it. I wish that this was the message sent from the beginning of this outbreak/pandemic, be concerned but don't panic. I fear now and am seeing evidence that the way the media handled this and caused so much panic over a virus that obviously has not been the killer they were saying it was has set a precedence with the public and they are no longer as likely to take news of future outbreaks as seriously as they should in a classic "boy who cried wolf" scenario. We need to be able to inform the public about potentially dangerous diseases but not cause panic that would cause way more harm than good. Personally I feel the way the media over-sensationalized this outbreak is criminal and they should be held accountable for it.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Don't be the Fifth Guy

Mon Sep 7 20:04:25 2009

I haven't called the number. I assumed it's the director of video's number. Did you call it?

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Don't be the Fifth Guy

Sun Sep 6 05:49:56 2009

Love the video, funny and definitely addresses a personal peeve of mine, but I have a really hard time believing that 4 out of 5 people actually wash their hands after leaving the restroom. Based on personal observation it would seem like a lot less. 3 out of 5 would have surprised me quite frankly. Although I bet at least two of the five don't come close to washing properly. The only other question I have is, have you called the number left at the end? What's with that? LOL. Viral video (pun intended) is a great way to go with this subject however. There should be more like it to address other public health issues.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Elmo joins H1N1 flu fight

Thu Sep 3 05:05:29 2009

This is a great idea! Never too early to teach kids these important concepts. I believe we should teach them about good bacteria as well. Perhaps if we educate the next generation we can avoid some of the hysteria and myths that crop up every time there is a public health risk.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on China to approve single-dose swine flu vaccines

Thu Sep 3 01:05:23 2009

This would definitely be welcome news. Any H1N1 flu experts care to explain why you would need two shots anyway? What's the challenge?

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Homeland Security Secretary Says Big Influx of H1N1 Infections Likely this Fall

Wed Sep 2 19:28:22 2009

Elmo says wash your hands! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG4hX8TEkAA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fflu%2Egov%2Fpsa%2Findex%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Sick mobile app tracks H1N1, other outbreaks near you

Wed Sep 2 18:39:15 2009

I downloaded this app for my iPhone to check it out. I have to say the web experience at HealthMap.org is much better. However, there is a message in the app's info section that they are struggling to meet higher than expected demand which has been resulting in slower performance. The information about outbreaks is sourced from a variety of trusted news outlets and international reporting groups. The fact that individuals can submit outbreaks is interesting as well, I am sure there is a vetting process for accuracy but there doesn't seem to be any related language in the submission disclaimer, other than HealthMap doesn't take responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in any submission - which is standard for end user submission sites/services. The best feature, in my opinion, is the apps push notifications by disease type and your geo-location. I signed up for West Nile Virus and the more general category "foodborne illness", and there are plenty more to choose from. Overall it's a fun app to check out, but I am not sure if I will use the app everyday - especially since it allows me to select the alerts I want.

Dhara_L makes this comment

on US expects far fewer swine flu shots in October

Wed Sep 2 09:14:24 2009

The novel H1N1 flu strain, commonly known as swine flu, circling the globe has prompted people to take flu shots to protect themselves against seasonal flu. Flu shots are going to be in high demand this year, especially since this whole swine flu business began. Once again, the ability of the private market, through charity, has made it's ability to act quicker than government known again, as several companies are offering free flu shots, or a discount on them, to the uninsured and/or unemployed – Walgreens and CVS, the online pharmacy company, will be offering about $3 million worth of free shots. Rite Aid and Wal Mart are following suit. The shots offered will not counter the H1N1 virus. It's good to know someone is willing to offer free flu shots to those who otherwise would need instant cash loans to get one.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Host-Pathogen Interaction and Human Disease (Part 2) by Stanley Falkow, Ph.D.

Wed Sep 2 02:42:03 2009

I'm glad you enjoyed the Falkow lecture.

Gary Toranzos makes this comment

on Mundo de los Microbios - Episodio 1

Mon Aug 31 17:51:34 2009

El recetar antibioticos a personas como tu es profilactico, no para tratamiento. Preguntale a tu medico de cabecera. Lo que me imagino es que la posibilidad de una infeccion es grande, y no se quieren tomar el riesgo de que, o sea una infeccion bacteriana, o que resulte en una secuela bacteriana. Estas mejor preguntando la razon a tu medico para salir de dudas.

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

on Host-Pathogen Interaction and Human Disease (Part 2) by Stanley Falkow, Ph.D.

Mon Aug 31 16:47:37 2009

This is the second of Dr. Falkow's excellent lectures on Host-Pathogen Interactions. If you are interested in how microbes can trigger cancer this again is a must view. In this video Dr. Falkow presents our current understanding of the association of CagA, synthesized by some Helicobacter, can interact with the tight junctions of the eukarytoic cells resulting in changes in signaling and motility of those cells in a very approachable format.

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

on Host-Pathogen Interaction and Human Disease (Part 1) by Stanley Falkow, Ph.D.

Mon Aug 31 16:37:05 2009

If you are interested in the relationships between Microbes and humans, this is a great primer on this subject. Dr. Falkow presents outstanding overview of this complex topic. This is a must view for anyone interested in this subject.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on How an Art Major Says Happy Birthday to her Microbiologist Sister

Thu Aug 27 21:32:05 2009

I'm jealous. You have a great little sister. This is like a modern day version of the homemade birthday card. BHappy birthday, by the way

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Mighty Microbe

Mon Aug 24 15:49:36 2009

This Q microbe has been in the news over the past couple of years, but this article provides a nice overview on the economics and scalability of taking research from the lab to industry.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Is Dirt the New Prozac?

Thu Aug 20 18:01:51 2009

I believe we beat the Huff Post to the punch on this one . From July 15 http://microbeworld.org/index.php?option=com_jlibrary&view=article&id=894

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on L.A. officials warn of cheeses that could contain harmful bacteria

Thu Aug 20 02:57:44 2009

Thanks Garth. We actually have a MicrobeWorld Video episode that addresses the risks of cheese and queso fresco definitely comes up in it. See the video here.

Liza Annemarie Rivera VanDerHaagen makes this comment

on Mundo de los Microbios - Episodio 1

Tue Aug 18 23:48:08 2009

Saludos, Profesor! Tengo una inquietud: de ser asi, que los antibioticos no sean muy recomendados para acabar con viruses, por que a las personas que padecemos del "soplo" (del corazon) se nos recetan antibioticos cada vez que cogemos un resfriado?? Gracias!

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Antibodies To Strep Throat Bacteria Linked To Obsessive Compulsive Disorder In Mice

Fri Aug 14 23:02:55 2009

As someone who grew up with strep and still gets it every couple of years, I find this very interesting. And I can't say I'm with out my own OCD like behaviors...however I think most of us probably do. Interesting to see where this research will goes and if there truly is a correlation between these disorders and the bacteria that causes strep.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Personal protective equipment and influenza

Thu Aug 13 19:31:46 2009

Not being an expert in respirators, are there any options other than the N95 studied that offer protection against influenza? Or, in other words, what should a discerning consumer look for in a protective "surgical type" mask if they want to protect themselves from exposure or from exposing others?(I assume the masks work both ways?)

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Who's fault is scientific illiteracy?

Wed Aug 12 21:32:13 2009

Being able to read an audience is an art form and takes a lot of experience, in my opinion. But that doesn't mean scientists shouldn't try. The more you communicate and learn from mistakes the better off you are for it.A lot of what this blog post talks about is the fear of ridicule from fellow scientists and the stigma of being "entertaining." It's unfortunate that people succumb to this peer pressure.Hopefully that attitude will become "sooooo 20th century." (There's my pop culture reference)

Betsy Smeed makes this comment

on Who's fault is scientific illiteracy?

Wed Aug 12 17:32:28 2009

I was listening to Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about giving talks about science. And Dr. Tyson suggested part of figuring out the audience is being familiar with pop culture. Which I think is true when trying to get a general audience interested in science.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Ralstonia solanacearum

Tue Aug 11 20:04:22 2009

I am not familiar with this pathogen but the USDA says the disease it causes is commonly known as Southern wilt, bacterial wilt, and/or brown rot of potato.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Tracking of plasma antibodies against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis during 15 years

Fri Aug 7 14:59:53 2009

Caroline, >Are you sure you uploaded a file for this? The download link is responding that the file is not found. You can easily remedy this by clicking the edit box to the right of your submission title and re-upload the file. If you are linking to an article, make sure you put the URL into the link field - not the upload field. Thanks.

Rory Meehan makes this comment

on Dog suspected source of China plague

Fri Aug 7 05:58:30 2009

Thanks Prof. Schmidt for the answer! I'm currently reading Guns, Germs, & Steel (Jared Diamond) where the idea of human/animal close proximity habitation is put forth as the reason European explorers had already developed resistances to the diseases that so completely devastated indigenous New World peoples - seems like we're still seeing this in action. - R. Meehan

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

on Dog suspected source of China plague

Thu Aug 6 21:56:22 2009

Rory asks a great question. So what's the answer? The short one is crowding, the animals are living in very close proximity to people and the the infectious agents in the question have the ability to infect more than one species. Thus they spread easily amplifying their numbers and sometimes increase the ease with which they cause disease or its severity. So as the animal (including people) and/or insects shed the infectious agent, whether it be virus, bacteria or fungi, if the infectious agent has the ability to infect more than one species it spread easily within the community. Thus as the population density of animals and people increases the likelihood of the agent expanding and infecting additional animals and people increases and thus the outbreak expands. How can we protect ourselves today? Some of the the best solutions for the controlling the spread of infectious agents are simple and straight forward like washing your hands before interacting with food and your mucosal surfaces (eyes, nose, mouth) and by controlling the dispersal of the agent by coughing/sneezing into your shoulder. The other way, if available, is through immunization. The great disease that is no more, small pox, was eliminated from the face of the planet through vaccination.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on New Microbe Strain Makes More Electricity, Faster

Mon Aug 3 16:09:37 2009

Thanks for posting this Betsy. I know Lovley has been working with Geobacter for a long time now, perhaps 10 years. It's interesting to see that they are tinkering with the microbes genetic make up to make it more efficient and powerful. I'm waiting for the day I can carry around a microbial fuel cell powered iPhone

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Fri Jul 31 16:32:20 2009

Beat you to it! See http://is.gd/1WiUF

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Study Finds Reusable Bags Hold Bacteria

Thu Jul 30 17:47:52 2009

This is a good tip that I guarantee is almost overlooked by most people, including myself! It's especially timely because more stores are pushing these bags on consumers by placing them in site at checkstands as well eliminating the option for plastic bags. Other factors leading to an increase in use of these type bags are the push to become more green and a down economy. I think just as important as washing the bags is the tip to keep meats and produce separate from all other products and each other. I also worry that the process of having to fill up the sink with water to wash them (as suggested) could cancel out the "green" factor. It's hard to win when it comes to being green, trade-offs make it very difficult but it's still worth trying.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on First real-time video of bacteria infecting a living host

Mon Jul 27 19:52:10 2009

FYI another article on this story is at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727113102.htm

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on First real-time video of bacteria infecting a living host

Mon Jul 27 19:14:57 2009

I know, I must of clicked play 10 times at least.

rajkumar makes this comment

on The Lab Coat Is on the Hook in the Fight Against Germs

Mon Jul 27 19:12:57 2009

i personally, dont like to wear a lab coat , untill unless you really need it , tradition of wearing lab coat all the time in work , as a professional identity need a rethink, but lab coat has its use only at certain time of lab work , or other spillage involed procedures in lab or clinic .

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on First real-time video of bacteria infecting a living host

Mon Jul 27 19:02:00 2009

That is so cool! Definitely has potential for gaining insight into host-pathogen interactions.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on The Lab Coat Is on the Hook in the Fight Against Germs

Mon Jul 27 18:01:42 2009

Karen, I totally agree. My mother is a pediatrician and they had to remove the stuffed animals from her office for the very same reason. A little sad, but probably for the best.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on The Lab Coat Is on the Hook in the Fight Against Germs

Mon Jul 27 16:31:43 2009

Hmm, maybe the fact that my doctor doesn't wear one is why I am so ornery but still alive! This really is a very valid concern, the white lab coat gives the illusion of clean but they are certainly not sterile and could definitely get contaminated without it showing. Probably best to leave the lab coats in the labs.

David Watts makes this comment

on Escherichia coli and Salmonella paratyphi Flower on 2 EMB plates

Fri Jul 24 16:36:31 2009

This is fantastic. I've seen some creative stuff done with cultures before, but I like how you used two petri dishes. I'm definitely checking out your site. Thanks.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Putting the "Cell" in Cell Phone: Adapter Turns Its Camera into a Microscope

Wed Jul 22 20:49:24 2009

This is really cool, I wonder if it would work on my phone!

Victor Del Fuego makes this comment

on Amber Ale: Brewing Beer from 45-Million-Year-Old Yeast

Tue Jul 21 17:01:29 2009

I signed up for the Fossile Fuels Brewing Co. email list at their website plus they have a Facebook Fan page.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Amber Ale: Brewing Beer from 45-Million-Year-Old Yeast

Tue Jul 21 16:42:45 2009

Oh how cool, microorganisms are amazing, to revive after 45 million years is incredible.

David Watts makes this comment

on It's the Blob! Miles of Mysterious Goo Floating by Alaska Coastline

Mon Jul 20 18:50:51 2009

I was right! It is algae! Time Magazine reported Saturday - "Test results released Thursday showed the blob wasn't oil, but a plant - a massive bloom of algae. " Read the article>.

Victor Del Fuego makes this comment

on Know Your Mushrooms - The Documentary

Mon Jul 20 15:25:01 2009

Has any one seen this movie yet? Is it any good?

Joan Kureczka makes this comment

on Venter Discovers Ancient Bacteria That Can Turn Coal into Methane

Mon Jul 20 15:01:06 2009

The concept that microbial populations resident in coal beds and other hydrocarbon deposits might be harnessed to create a sustainable source of natural gas was discovered long before Dr. Venter proclaimed such. In fact, the company that pioneered this work - employing populations of naturally occurring organisms resident in the coal beds -- is already actively producing gas from its initial pilot wells in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and has generated and harvested to date approximately 1 billion cubic feet of "green" gas, enough to heat 16,000 homes for a year. This company -- Denver-based Luca Technologies was the first to prove the real time generation of coal bed methane, starting from their founder's initial field observations in the Powder River Basin gas fields in 2001 that natural gas was likely being formed in real-time within the coal beds, rather than being tapped from ancient gas deposits. He and the company's co-founders decided to test their thesis in the lab, and indeed proved not only that there was a live population of anaerobic microbes (those living in oxygen-free environments) in the coals that were actively producing methane, but that methane production could be altered by the addition of certain nutrients or stopped by adding oxygen or other things that would kill the microorganisms. Luca Technologies was formed to further develop their ideas and apply them in the field, with the idea this could be the beginning of a whole new industry of natural gas farming. Rather than trying to create the right population of microbes from scratch, as reports suggest Dr. Venter's group is doing, Luca is working with the bacterial populations that are resident naturally in the coals (which the company has isolated from a variety of locations and continues to study). These are complex populations of microbes, some of which directly digest the hydrocarbons while others digest their metabolic by products, but the end product by a group of microbes known as methanogens is natural gas. Today Luca has proven its concept in the field and is actively cultivating its "Geobioreactors," while continuing to develop its technology. While the company's first focus has been coal bed methane, they are also studying the model of using microbial consortia from active "Geobioreactors" to cross inoculate currently inactive hydrocarbon deposits or even spent oil wells, where there is actually plenty of oil but it's no longer economically recoverable in that form using conventional technology.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Kary Mullis' Next-gen Cure for Killer Infection

Sat Jul 18 18:02:11 2009

A very interesting and promising potential treatment option! This is definitely a brilliant idea, taking something that is a problem for xenotransplantation and turning it into a solution for another health problem. I wonder if it could also be adapted for cancer treatment, find a unique marker on the cancerous cells to target. And a little reminder, the "mission accomplished" speech was taken out of context, it was not in reference to the war as a whole, it was addressed to the Navy personnel on that particular ship that had completed their mission.

David Watts makes this comment

on Microsporum gypseum microconidia

Fri Jul 17 20:47:27 2009

I think that is the brightest red I have ever seen.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Is Dirt the New Prozac?

Fri Jul 17 19:53:54 2009

Very interesting, one more reason to have a garden, fresh fruit and veggies and exposure to M. vaccae!

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Goat penis bacteria adds to food safety scare

Fri Jul 17 03:10:58 2009

I can't even imagine how much goat penis that is...

David Watts makes this comment

on It's the Blob! Miles of Mysterious Goo Floating by Alaska Coastline

Thu Jul 16 20:03:02 2009

What ever it turns out to be, it will probably be blamed on global warming. I'm betting it's algae. BTW, Discover has a close up pic of the stuff.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on It's the Blob! Miles of Mysterious Goo Floating by Alaska Coastline

Thu Jul 16 19:48:42 2009

It'll be interesting to find out what this goo is.

Betsy Smeed makes this comment

on Not Just Any Bug - Cynthia Haseltine on Archaea, DNA Repair and Lymphoma

Wed Jul 15 17:16:22 2009

This is pretty cool, especially the idea of using the Archean as a model to understand how humans repair DNA.

David Watts makes this comment

on TWiV 40: Tamiflu in the water

Wed Jul 15 00:19:03 2009

Thanks for the kind words and the plug. I would love it if your listeners started submitting stories for TWiV via MicrobeWorld by tagging the article with TWiV.

David Watts makes this comment

on An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: An Update on New Vaccine Recommendations (ASM Teleconference, Wednesday, July 15, 1pm)

Wed Jul 15 00:08:04 2009

These look interesting. Thanks for posting. Will they be available online after the fact?

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on What Makes a Chili Hot? Real Hot!

Tue Jul 14 15:43:38 2009

I haven't found anymore research that sheds light on introducing fungus into peppers to make them hotter. This is a relatively new discovery made by Dr. Tewksbury, a biologist at University of Washington. You can read a better synopsis of what led to this discovery here: http://www.sciencentral.com/video/2008/10/02/hot-chili-secret/ Perhaps since he is fascinated with the subject he is looking deeper into how to control the amount of hear produced by any given pepper.

Victor Del Fuego makes this comment

on Mystery E. Coli Genes Essential For Survival Of Many Species

Tue Jul 14 14:09:42 2009

The quote from the lead researcher in this story is very intriguing and definitely makes me want to read the paper - ""Scientists have been studying E. coli genes for many, many years and we thought we knew pretty much all there was to know - we certainly didn't expect to find any more genes that are essential for survival! "Finding out that these genes are essential in E. coli and also appear in the genomes of other species tells us that they are very important indeed. In the case of one of the genes it is also found in the human genome, which makes it especially interesting. The mystery remains as to what they actually do, but whatever it is, it must be really crucial."

David Watts makes this comment

on What Makes a Chili Hot? Real Hot!

Tue Jul 14 03:13:57 2009

Is there any more research out there on how to maximize heat in a pepper if you introduce the fungus?

David Watts makes this comment

on Are you more science-savvy than the average American?

Mon Jul 13 20:58:32 2009

I wonder if anyone who did not get a 12 out of 12 would mention that they did. Especially on a site like this.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Are you more science-savvy than the average American?

Mon Jul 13 20:28:13 2009

Yeah, I also got 12/12, guess all this education is paying off, haha!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Adaptive prediction of environmental changes by microorganisms

Fri Jul 10 19:56:59 2009

Thank you for posting this Fiona. What interesting to me about this post is that it kind of ties in to the New Scientist article on memristors and slime molds in terms of "anticipatory response." Here's the link.

Garth Hogan makes this comment

on Unleashing the Power of Beer

Fri Jul 10 17:06:11 2009

I also have a solution for any leftover beer.

Victor Del Fuego makes this comment

on Something smells rotten to Feds at Williamsburg cheese factory

Fri Jul 10 14:29:13 2009

ewww...this article also has some other unsanitary highlights.

Victor Del Fuego makes this comment

on Are you more science-savvy than the average American?

Thu Jul 9 21:30:27 2009

12 out of 12, which apparently 10% of the American public also got correct.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on How stop (or at least control) blogging at scientific meetings

Thu Jul 9 16:52:11 2009

As far as policy goes, I don't really feel like there should be a social networking policy. If anything the policy should be to make it very clear to the presenters that any information they share at a public conference is likely to be be shared outside the walls of that conference and that it's up to them to decide how much or how little they want to share. If the goal is to release information to only the people in the room then nothing short of taking away all electronic devices and requiring attendees to sign an NDA is going to prevent information from leaving the room. At that point it just seems like your information isn't ready to be "shared." I realize that there are complex issues surrounding the release of science information however the bottom line has to be cooperation and collaboration between conference presenters, organizers and attendees because anything less is more damaging than it's worth.

David Watts makes this comment

on What's it like to be a microbiologist in Canada?

Thu Jul 9 14:48:22 2009

It's certainly not compelling. The best part is when she advises that a career in microbiology is not for those who dislike bacteria and viruses LOL

David Watts makes this comment

on How to streak a plate as narrated by a vampire

Thu Jul 9 14:17:26 2009

CJ, the source site for this video has a lot of great instructional and informational videos. The problem is that they are hard to find on there. The site itself is a virtual textbook that is part of Microbiology 102, an introductory laboratory course for non-majors at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Here is the home page

CJ Millward makes this comment

on How to streak a plate as narrated by a vampire

Wed Jul 8 22:47:23 2009

Just a comment as towards the "accent." I'd say he sounds more like Igor rather than a vampire. Other than that, it is a nice instructional video towards how to streak plate. I may link this back over to my old microbio professor, since he enjoys trying to find ways to integrate things like this into his lectures.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on What's it like to be a microbiologist in Canada?

Wed Jul 8 20:55:04 2009

If one were taking this seriously it is just awful, if they are watching it for laughs then it is somewhat funny. I gave it a 2 because it made me laugh and I got to tease a Canadian microbiologist over it.

Jim Hardy makes this comment

on So a group of paleontologists walk into a museum...

Wed Jul 8 14:11:08 2009

I had a 2 hr layover in Kentucky yesterday on my way to San Fran. Wish I had known. Could've experienced this "museum" in that time frame.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Who are the top ten influential women microbiologists?

Tue Jul 7 00:15:44 2009

OK, I am going to throw out Elizabeth Hazen who discovered the the world’s first useful fungus-killing antibiotic known as Nystatin. The FDA approved its use in 1954. Nystatin royalties totaled $13.4 million before the patent expired in 1974. Hazen who worked with Rachel Brown on its development donated half of the proceeds to a non-profit group that subsidized scholarly research. The other half went to an educational program called the Brown-Hazen Fund which supported medicine and biology research for female scientists.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on How to streak a plate as narrated by a vampire

Mon Jul 6 15:57:19 2009

The quality of the video and content is good but I think I must be missing the inside joke because I have no idea why he is narrating in a vampire voice. While it does provide some comedy relief, the vampire laugh creeps me out lol. That said, I think if you wanted to learn how to streak an agar plate this would be a good video to view and if you want a good laugh, explain to people what you just watched, vampire voice included.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on You may be king of the grill, but do you have the food safety skills?

Sat Jul 4 15:59:15 2009

Thanks Karen for retweeting this too. Have a great 4th of July

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on You may be king of the grill, but do you have the food safety skills?

Sat Jul 4 15:49:29 2009

Great food safety guidelines, hope people follow them and stay healthy and happy over the holiday and summer! I think it is funny that FSIS's robot is named Karen, hope it doesn't confuse too many of my friends, I am their version of "Ask Karen" =)

David Watts makes this comment

on Are microbiologists with beards a threat to public health?

Sat Jul 4 03:49:12 2009

LOL Yes, there is a valid concern but the notion of publishing a paper on it is humorous to me. However, if you put when this paper was originally published in 1967 into context, it was the dawn of the hippie movement. When beards and long hair are the popular fashion of the day, this paper probably seemed pertinent at the time.

Karen the Microblogologist makes this comment

on Are microbiologists with beards a threat to public health?

Fri Jul 3 21:45:08 2009

I find this hilarious but it does bring up a valid concern, especially for those of us who come into contact with small children, elderly and other potentially compromised people. Glad I don't have to worry about the beard thing as a female, and I rarely have my hair down, even outside the lab.

David Watts makes this comment

on Little-known Marine Decomposers Attract The Attention Of Genome Sequencers

Fri Jul 3 03:38:45 2009

These organisms certainly look interesting and I think DOE is wise to research them more. Ocean microbes are a treasure trove of the unknown. Craig Venter's Sorcerer II sea voyage where he collected buckets of ocean water from around the globe is currently being analyzed using metagenomics. Who knows what this data may uncover.

Fiona Brinkman makes this comment

on It’s time to retire the prokaryote

Thu Jul 2 20:03:28 2009

I still think it doesn't make sense to retire the term prokaryote. There are notable commonalities between Bacteria and Archaea, even though they are very divergent, and there are microbiologists studying both together. Its shorter to say "prokaryotes" instead of "Bacteria and Archaea", and this is the way this word is being used now.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Biofuels in Puerto Rico

Thu Jul 2 15:05:29 2009

I would vote this comment up if we had that option!

David Watts makes this comment

on Science Tattoo Emporium

Wed Jul 1 20:10:14 2009

Yes, this site collection of science tattoos is awesome.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Biofuels in Puerto Rico

Wed Jul 1 19:16:08 2009

Amazing video with great shots of Puerto Rico all in glorious high definition! Make sure to click on and watch the HD version as well. This is yet another informative MicrobeWorld video that addresses a popular and necessary topic, alternative fuels. The entire world is in need for alternatives to fossil fuels and this episode shows yet another cool approach that will not only help PR's fuel needs but their economy as well. Solving this issue will require a global solution and in this video we can see that amazing work is being done across the globe.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Wed Jul 1 14:07:01 2009

Looks like the post went through despite not allowing for TIFFs.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Flu Pandemics May Lurk in Frozen Lakes

Tue Jun 30 19:51:39 2009

H1N1 on the rocks! We know that H1N1 is nothing new, in fact it's been around since 1918 and scientists say this might be the reason the current incarnation of the virus hasn't hit as hard as they once feared it would. Now we learn that the virus can be trapped under ice (insert Metallica music here) and perhaps be delivered back to humans via birds once thawed. This gives a whole new perspective on the importance of global warming and perhaps a whole new marketing campaign for the dangers of melting polar ice caps.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on It’s time to retire the prokaryote

Mon Jun 29 21:23:27 2009

For those of you who want to jump right to the article, here's the direct link http://www.sgm.ac.uk/pubs/micro_today/pdf/050903.pdf

David Watts makes this comment

on A Breath Mint Made From ... Coffee?

Thu Jun 25 19:38:05 2009

This is a landmark discovery LOL!! "Everybody thinks that coffee causes bad breath," says Prof. Rosenberg, "and it's often true, because coffee, which has a dehydrating effect in the mouth, becomes potent when mixed with milk, and can ferment into smelly substances." But not always. "Contrary to our expectations, we found some components in coffee that actually inhibit bad breath," explains Prof. Rosenberg. The findings were presented last month to members of the International Society for Breath Odor Research in Germany by Yael Gov, a researcher in Prof. Rosenberg's laboratory. Apparently they still need to isolate the bacterial-inhibiting molecule.

David Watts makes this comment

on Anybody home? Little response in Pacific gyre

Thu Jun 25 14:43:33 2009

I am sure there is some sort of microbial life down there although the article doesn't say. I'd say it's worthy of research, mainly to find out why life is so limited in a gyre and what, if any, sort of life it does support.

Victor Del Fuego makes this comment

on Opening Night of Infectious: Stay Away

Wed Jun 24 22:24:02 2009

This is a great video. Makes you want to go and check out the exhibit.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on TWiV 37: Open Access

Wed Jun 24 20:23:40 2009

Open access debate was great. So important to make all that amazing content available to the people who could really use it but are least likely to afford it...students. Although I do realize that it's difficult because these journals are very expensive to produce so it's not as much of a no-brainer as it appears on the surface. That said, "open" is the future of media. Ad models/sponsorship will need to be embraced strongly.

David Watts makes this comment

on TWiV 37: Open Access

Wed Jun 24 14:30:41 2009

Vincent and Allen, I loved the discussion on open access and the email's were fantastic. I think the one listener is correct in that you truly do walk the fine line between layman and researcher and some how manage to keep all interested and involved.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Experts caution that the word "probiotic" is widely misused

Tue Jun 23 20:37:57 2009

Wow, the biggest problem here is that clearly nobody really has the answers yet when it comes to probiotics and the scary thing is that it seems to be catching on like it's the next "fat free" craze. This isn't that much of a problem assuming that it's always safe to consume these products but I fear it's just a marketing label slapped on the outside of a package and unless you're a scientist, you are not likely to know one product from the next. Besides the potential health concerns it seems likely that many people will be paying more for products that don't have any real added value. Very interested in seeing where this all goes.

Administrator makes this comment

on Cell Dance

Tue Jun 23 19:50:23 2009

Nice video!

Tim Forbes makes this comment

on Op-Ed: Microbes May Be More Networked Than You Are

Tue Jun 23 16:18:32 2009

Love the op-ed

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Elederly People in the UK more likely to Gamble with Food Safety

Wed Jun 17 19:33:34 2009

Good points Ray!

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Elederly People in the UK more likely to Gamble with Food Safety

Wed Jun 17 18:06:55 2009

Here is a good pdf that deals a lot with the issue of home economics. Here is the link http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/pafiover65.pdf. The article shows that people over age 65 are less likely to identify use by dates as a factor in their decision to consume. I think the respondents probably did not grow up with use by dates and therefore are simply less likely to use this as an indicator of freshness. But more likely their unwillingness to throw food out is due to the culture they grew up in. Wasting what appears to be perfectly good food in times of war and bad economies was most certainly never done unless the food was visibly tainted. I think those people 65 and older are just less likely to waste due to growing up in an era with different values. Overall and interesting study and I would like to see more of the data from the qualitative survey that was conducted. Numbers are nice but what the people actually tell you is often times more revealing.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Elederly People in the UK more likely to Gamble with Food Safety

Wed Jun 17 14:26:27 2009

This is an interesting study in part because I don't think it takes into account basic home economics and the recession. Prior to the market crash I was a stickler for "use by" dates, now that it's tougher to make ends meet I use the "nose" and "quick taste" test more often. Sure, I may be flirting with disaster but at least I'll have the money for my co-pay

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on New Species Of Phallus-shaped Mushroom Named After California Academy Of Sciences Scientist

Wed Jun 17 14:16:55 2009

I'm not sure I would take the naming of this mushroom after myself as a compliment LOL

David Watts makes this comment

on Food, inc. The Movie Opens This Friday

Mon Jun 15 15:08:30 2009

Has any one seen this yet? I am dying to know if it's worth watching.

David Watts makes this comment

on Influenza Information (H1N1)

Fri Jun 12 19:47:22 2009

You know you could have just cut and pasted the info from the doc into the text field of the site.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Sick but at work? Study finds it's worse in the long-run

Thu Jun 11 19:50:09 2009

Not to mention when you stay home you don't inadvertently spread the bug to your coworkers!

Victor Del Fuego makes this comment

on Cleaning Air With Bacteria?

Wed Jun 10 14:09:33 2009

This technology costs starts at $1 million to install.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on FDA warns against using Clarcon skin products

Tue Jun 9 14:42:44 2009

The irony is pretty think here. Antimicrobial skincare products laden with disease-causing bacteria. It makes one wonder how effective these consumer products actually are.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Germs: Protect Yourself Against Bacteria, Viruses and Infection

Mon Jun 8 21:23:53 2009

I'd prefer to see the whole story here or at least a read more link at the end of the post that goes to the source (that's in addition to the source link above).

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Who Pooped?

Mon Jun 8 21:16:55 2009

LOL, wow. I could not resist visiting this link. I had to play an actual game just to see if the poop I chose (you get several options of various types of feces) matched up to the Ostrich. Well it didn't but I was entertained and all I can say is that is some real interesting viral marketing lol.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Survey says health workers will abandon posts in a pandemic

Mon Jun 8 21:12:26 2009

I wonder if there is any evidence of this during the recent H1N1 (Swine Flu) scare. I'm guessing that despite the crazy media storm, the people who were truly informed (i.e. health care workers) were not scrambling for the doors.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on A 9,000 Year Old Beer will be Hitting the Stores this Summer

Mon Jun 8 21:08:38 2009

Since visiting the Dogfish Head brewery in Rohobeth Beach, DE last year, Dogfish Head beers have become my favorite east coast based beers. I love tasting the array of brews they have to offer and it looks like we'll be getting a really unique beer from the past to try out. Maybe I can send the guys over at Diggnation a sample and perhaps they'll give MicrobeWorld a shout out on the show! lol

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on An E.coli strain makes textiles, car parts, and pharmaceuticals.

Mon Jun 8 20:59:14 2009

This is potentially great news for the environment. I love reading about solutions to tough, long standing problems and being completely blown away when the answer comes out of left field like this. I mean sugar based spandex and e-coli steering wheels! I would have never guessed. I'm finding that microbiology has many of the answers to today's toughest problems, so cool.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Joe DeRisi - Hunting the Next Killer Virus

Mon Jun 8 20:52:53 2009

Watched the whole thing. Really great info and anecdotes about the viral chip. Joe is an awesome speaker and funny to boot! Love the design plans to make your own DNA Array machine with big red button lol. I'm lucky to get the honor of editing interviews such as Dr. DeRisi's MTS interview with Merry Buckley.

Ray Ortega makes this comment

on Ray Ortega

Fri Jun 5 20:08:45 2009

great stuff

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Pea-sized Seahorse, Bacteria That Life In Hairspray, Caffeine-free coffee Among Top 10 New Species Of 2008

Thu May 28 20:20:42 2009

Testing out this comment with @Sciencegangsta

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on photograph of erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection in the thumb of an abattoir worker

Thu May 28 14:53:14 2009

How old are all of these photos that you have been uploading?

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Canadian fined $500 for trying to sneak biological material into U.S.

Thu May 28 14:34:00 2009

This seems like some under reported news. I would expect someone caught smuggling vials of HIV and Ebola into the US would be labeled a terrorist right off the bat in this climate. There really isn't a lot of info to go off of in the article.

David Watts makes this comment

Fri May 22 13:59:11 2009

This is the best profile picture I have ever seen, LOL

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Complex Microbial Community Structure in Adult Cystic Fibrosis Airways as Revealed by 16S rRNA PhyloChip

Tue May 19 10:48:08 2009

Thanks for submitting this Mike!

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Drugs Urged for Swine Flu in Pregnancy

Wed May 13 18:59:56 2009

Are there any studies available on the effects of Tamiflu on pregnant women?

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Vincent Racaniello

Tue May 12 19:56:30 2009

How did you get the website to work if the field wasn't appearing?

David Watts makes this comment

on Rating Pandemics: Tweaking the WHO Scale for Next Time…

Sun May 10 00:56:12 2009

You need to add tags 1 at a time. But thanks for this great submission.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Yeast Cells Are Set to Fly for Space Experiment

Fri May 8 14:27:13 2009

Nice title :P

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Interesting Rhinovirus Study + Bonus Chicken Soup Recipe

Thu May 7 15:55:08 2009

LOL, I may try this recipe at home. I wonder why you would add extra chicken wings to it - maybe for extra concentrated chicken broth taste? I like the recommendation that the unused cooked meat makes for great chicken parmesan.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Tracking disease outbreaks via the internet

Thu May 7 15:50:07 2009

I think this idea is definitely worth expounding upon, and could be especially useful if it has the critical mass of users/searches indexed. Obviously an "Oprah" effect could lead to false positives but I think that sort of thing could be ferreted out rather easily. If can't be determined that there was a media or news effect, then it may be worth investigating. However, there are other ways to do similar projects for different infectious diseases where you can vet the participants a little better than the entire public.

David Watts makes this comment

on Jim Sliwa

Wed May 6 20:57:42 2009

You need to upload your picture

David Watts makes this comment

on 29% of academic medical centers exaggerate the importance of their research

Wed May 6 16:32:04 2009

LOL I see you can't say d-a-m-n

David Watts makes this comment

on 29% of academic medical centers exaggerate the importance of their research

Wed May 6 16:31:21 2009

Ooops I meant "prettying" (Hmmm an edit comment feature would be nice)

David Watts makes this comment

on 29% of academic medical centers exaggerate the importance of their research

Wed May 6 16:30:31 2009

I think it's a prettying statement to say academic centers contribute to poor media coverage, especially when the people who did the survey didn't look closely at the impact on news articles.

Chris Condayan makes this comment

on Swine Flu is all pork, not avian or human, claims researchers

Tue May 5 20:48:43 2009

Turns out a few days later that the NY Times interviewed a researcher who debunks this story. Here's an excerpt: It is essentially a blend of Eurasian swine flu and North American swine flu, but Western hemisphere strains have had an avian segment on the PB2 gene for at least 10 years and a human component on the PB1 gene since 1993, said Henry L. Niman, a biochemist who tracks flu mutations. “The original report is correct,” Dr. Niman said of the C.D.C.’s analysis. The rumors, he added in an e-mail message, stem from “someone who really doesn’t know how to analyze sequences (or is being misquoted.)” Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/health/01origin.html?_r=1

Chris Condayan makes this comment

Tue May 5 13:50:46 2009

I fixed it. With embedding video we do it ""automagically"" All you need to do is enter in the link to the page the video is on. However, it brings up a good question that may require a sentence of explanation on the submit page. Supported video sites include YouTube, SciVee.tv, DailyMotion, MetaCafe, DNAtube and afew more. Unfortunately CNN is not one of those sites. In cases like these you just have to click the source URL.

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

Mon May 4 19:37:04 2009

Here is the link that gets you to the video.... http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/04/30/kaye.anatomy.of.a.sneeze.cnn?iref=videosearch How do you edit a link?

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

Mon May 4 19:32:53 2009

Linked worked... I checked... it plays a commercial first then the video. I linked it from the CNN source page...

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

on Germ Sleuths Stalk Origin of Killer Flu

Mon May 4 19:29:51 2009

Informative story. However, most interesting are the maps suggesting the potential path(s) that the virus has taken leaving Mexico. The maps are provocative and in the weeks to come we will see if the map model proves true. Must read for all students interested in the epi of this new virus.

Michael Schmidt makes this comment

on The Path of a Pandemic

Mon May 4 19:23:36 2009

Informative article by Laurie Garrett, author of the Coming Plague.

Chris Condayan makes this comment