Microbe Talk

Latest Episodes:

Episode 187: Blastocystis: friend or foe? Sep 30, 2026

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It's the most abundant eukaryotic microbe in humans… But what role does it play in our bodies? For decades, Blastocystis has been thought of as a parasite just like other protists that lurk within humans, such as Plasmodium or Giardia. But research is increasingly finding the opposite to be true, and scientists across the world are fighting to change this perception.
This month on Microbe Talk, Lilly is joined by Dr Anastasios Tsaousis and Dr Varol Tunali to discuss their four-year COST Action project, which brought together experts from around the world to understand what the evidence is actually uncovering about the role of Blastocystis. Listen in to find out more!

Episode 186: Breaking down biofilms with gas Aug 25, 2026

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This month, Lilly welcomes Dr Jason Brown from the University of Glasgow to discuss his latest research findings using cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), a form of ionised gas, against biofilms in wound infections. Listen in to hear their discussion of what CAP therapy is, how it works, and why this treatment could be a useful alternative to antibiotics.

Read Jason's latest research paper in the Journal of Medical Microbiology here, doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.002193, or by visiting our website.

Episode 185: What can we learn from involving the public in microbial genomics research? Jul 09, 2026

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📣 Episode 185 is out now!
This month, Lilly welcomes Dr Hannah Trivett from the University of Birmingham to the podcast, to discuss her latest publication bringing patient and public involvement (PPI) and microbial genomics research together for the first time ever. Listen in to hear their discussion of what the public think about effective science communication and how researchers can benefit from incorporating this into their work.
Read Hannah's latest research paper here doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.001691, or by visiting our website.

Episode 184: Building a sense of belonging with the Pride in Microbiology network Jun 15, 2026

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This Pride Month, Dr Bruno Francesco Rodrigues de Oliveira and Dr Landon Getz, two of the founders of the Pride in Microbiology network, join Lilly to discuss why their work to harness community and professional development opportunities for LGBTQ+ scientists around the world is as important as ever.

Episode 183: Annual Conference 2026: Meet the Panel behind the programme Apr 24, 2026

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Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes planning our flagship Annual Conference? Listen in as Lilly talks to Chairs of the Scientific Conferences Panel during the four day event in Belfast, about the challenges and joys of putting together the exciting programme.

Interested in joining? Visit our website to find out more about how to apply for vacancies in our governance structure.

Episode 182: Sepsis, superbugs, and antibiotic stewardship Mar 26, 2026

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"I often like to say that we're not the antibiotic police, but we're the antibiotic sommelier. So, you have a bug and we have the drug, and we try to find the best fit."
In this month's Microbe Talk, Charlotte Holtum (Head of Engagement & Storytelling) welcomes guests Dr Alicia Demirjian (UK Health Security Agency and Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust) and Dr Yoann Personne (bioMérieux), to explore an underdiscussed corner of the antimicrobial resistance conversation: its management with sepsis. They discuss what underpins the real-world relationship of AMR and sepsis, improving antibiotic stewardship in hospitals, and addressing these issues sooner rather than later.
If you would like to read the ESPAUR report 2024 mentioned in this episode, please find it here.

Episode 181: Sexual health and the vaginal microbiome Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

What does a healthy vaginal microbiome look like? Are store-bought vaginal probiotics backed by science? How do these microbes interact with sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
🦠Research is uncovering more and more about the relationship between the vaginal microbiome and sexual health. That's why this month, I spoke with Prof Wilhelmina Huston, a microbiologist specialising in STIs at the University of Melbourne, Australia, to discuss what science knows so far.
🎧Listen in wherever you get your podcasts
🔗If you’d like to read the review in Microbial Genomics you can do so by following this link https://microb.io/46tUCxa
A full, auto generated, transcript of the podcast is available on our website here https://microb.io/3M7M7B7

Episode 180: Society Staff Reflect on 2025 Dec 29, 2025

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In this episode of Microbe Talk, we meet some members of staff at the Microbiology Society to reflect on 2025 and look at ways to get involved in 2026.

Episode 179: Hidden Companions: how parasites are adapting to a changing world Dec 17, 2025

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The relationship between humans and parasites is changing along with the climate crisis, globalisation, and innovations in science. In this month's Microbe Talk, we chat to expert Kinga Kowalewska-Grochowska at the University of Alberta, Canada, about the evolutions in how we look at parasites, where they are found, and what the future holds for diagnosing and treating these illnesses. This follows Kowalewska-Grochowska's latest review of the same topic published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.

If you’d like to read the paper, you can do so by following this link.

Stay tuned to the Microbiology Society socials to be the first to hear about exciting new research in the world of microbiology.

You can download a full, auto generated transcript of the podcast here.

Episode 178: The Kocurious case of Noodlococcus: From discovery to community Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

In 2019, a mysterious shape appeared on a petri dish in a Birmingham lab. Its surprising appearance, similar to noodles, intrigued researchers to find out more about it. They consulted other scientists online at the time, which sparked an idea to start an online club dedicated to sharing laboratory contaminants.

Now, the team finally publish their research characterising this contaminant as a new species of bacteria, Kocuria rhizophila, in our journal Microbial Genomics. Researchers Rob Moran and Greg McCallum join Communications and Media Officer Lilly Tozer to talk about their journey from discovery to publish.

If you’d like to read the paper, you can do so by following this link: microb.io/47L8aoY

Stay tuned to the Microbiology Society socials to be the first to hear about exciting new research in the world of microbiology.

You can download a full, auto generated transcript of the podcast here: microb.io/3J6DUf3

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