More on the Microbiome
The Bacterium Disappearing From Our Stomachs
A primer on the gut bacterium Helicobacter pylori, and the controversy surrounding it.
14:09
What Microbes Are Hiding In Your Home?
From slime in your shower head to fungi in your drywall, there’s no escaping the microbiome of the great indoors.
26:29
Monster Microbiome Mash
Just in time for Halloween, scientists Rob Dunn and Amanda Hale imagine what the microbiomes of werewolves, vampires, and other monsters might entail.
Make a Home for Microbes
In this activity from the American Museum of Natural History, you’ll create an entire ecosystem for bacteria called a Winogradsky column.
10:52
A Tiny, Living Identification Badge: Your Microbiome
The specific combinations of strains of bacteria that live on and in a person can be used to identify an individual—even up to a year later.
Subvisual Subway: The Art of New York City’s Bacterial World
Typographer and illustrator Craig Ward sampled the bacteria on subway lines around New York City and photographed his findings.
7:13
Exploring Remote Villages for Clues to the Human Microbiome
The microbes that live on and in residents of an Amazonian village with no recorded contact with Western civilization are super-diverse—and some carry genes for antibiotic resistance.
11:43
Rooting Out the Plant Microbiome
Scientists are uncovering the importance of the plant microbiome for fighting off pathogens and increasing crop yields.
12:08
Artificial Sweeteners Might Sour Your Microbiome
Researchers say artificial sweeteners may alter the microbiome and the body’s ability to control glucose levels.
17:17
Spilling Our Guts: Decreased Diversity in the Human Microbiome
How can hospital stays and the evolution from apes to humans change the diversity of our microbiome?
12:15
The Oldest Bird, a Distant Galaxy, and the Beard Microbiome
Rachel Feltman of The Washington Post joins us for a roundup of her top science stories this week.
22:52
Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Send Messages to Your Brain?
Researchers discuss how the microbiome might play a role in anxiety, depression, and autism.
29:51
Michael Pollan: You Are What You Cook
Pollan once advised, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Now, he tells us how to cook it.
6:00
An Artist Swabs the NYC Subway
An artist creates unconventional “portraits” of NYC commuters with bacteria gathered on the subway.
8:00
Can Intestinal Bacteria Shape Response to Early-Life Stress?
A new study investigates the link between the gut and the brain in mice.
Monster Microbiology, 101
If werewolves and other ghouls existed, they’d surely have microbiomes.
11:54
HIV Prevention With PrEP, an Ancient Microbiome, and Freezing Fat
A new study shows that nearly two-thirds of new HIV infections in gay and bisexual men in the Netherlands could be prevented with pre-exposure prophylaxis.
11:58
How The Microbiome Can Affect Cancer Treatments
Researchers found that patients who responded well to immunotherapy had a more diverse mix of gut bacteria.