Microbe Talk

Episode 187: Blastocystis: friend or foe?

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

Episode 186: Breaking down biofilms with gas

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 ga

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

📣 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 pati

Episode 184: Building a sense of belonging with the Pride in Microbiology network

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 w

Episode 183: Annual Conference 2026: Meet the Panel behind the programme

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 fo

Episode 182: Sepsis, superbugs, and antibiotic stewardship

"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."

Episode 181: Sexual health and the vaginal microbiome

What does a healthy vaginal microbiome look like? Are store-bought vaginal probiotics backed by science? How do these microbes interact with sexually transmitted infectio

Episode 180: Society Staff Reflect on 2025

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

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

Episode 178: The Kocurious case of Noodlococcus: From discovery to community

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.

Episode 177: Chemical Conversations: Exploring the gut:brain link in bipolar treatments

In this episode of Microbe Talk, Clare talks to An Bui from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta about their paper published in Microbiology, the fir

Episode 176: From workshop to publication: discussing microbiome safety with Lindsay Hall and Aline Metris

In January 2024, Aline Metris and Lindsay Hall hosted an academic-industry workshop at the Microbiology Society offices to discuss the potential long-term implications of

Episode 175: Dr Beth Mills and Akpan Friday on international collaboration and mentorship

In this episode, Adam discovers how two microbiologists from opposite sides of the world formed a collaboration and mentorship that has greatly benefited them both. When

Episode 174: Our miniseries for Annual Conference 2025: Andrew Spicer

We're in Liverpool this week, hosting our annual conference and meeting our members, collaborators and authors. We know that there will be a lot of exciting conversation

Episode 173: Our miniseries for Annual Conference 2025: Guilherme Neumann

We're in Liverpool this week, hosting our annual conference and meeting our members, collaborators and authors. We know that there will be a lot of exciting conversation

Episode 172: Our miniseries for Annual Conference 2025: Elizabeth O'Gorman

We're in Liverpool this week, hosting our annual conference and meeting our members, collaborators and authors. We know that there will be a lot of exciting conversation

Episode 171: Our miniseries for Annual Conference 2025: Phoebe Crossley

We're in Liverpool this week, hosting our annual conference and meeting our members, collaborators and authors. We know that there will be a lot of exciting conversation

Episode 170: Microbiome and thermal tolerance: a new frontier in climate resilience?

In this episode of Microbe Talk Clare speaks to Judy Li, author on the latest Microbial Primer: Microbiome and thermal tolerance – a new frontier in climate resilience? C

Episode 169: Coccus Pocus A microbiology inspired scary story competition

In this episode, Adam talks to Dr Georgios Efthimiou from the University of Hull.  Georgios has created a nationwide ‘spooky’ short story competition called Coccus Pocus.

Episode 168: Exploring the science of wellness, ageing and death with John Tregoning

For the first episode of Microbe Talk in 2025, we’re bringing you something fascinating and a bit different— non-communicable diseases. In this special episode, Clare cha