It’s the season of respiratory illnesses and with COVID-19, RSV, and flu abound, it’s hard to make it to spring unscathed. Stories in the news talk about the recent rise in respiratory virus activity over the holidays (here, here, and here) and how respiratory symptoms just won’t seem to subside. A winter full of respiratory…
Whoosh! That’s the sound we hear as we journey into the wonderful world of the small in a new microbiology children’s book by Lindsey Millar. Today, we chat with Lindsey on about her process for creating books, the switch from the lab bench to science communication, and more! (For more microbiology books for kids, check…
The microbiome is one of those topics that can be studied in so many ways and in so many organisms – the questions we ask about the human microbiome can be asked about the microbiome of other organisms. What microbes are there and what do they do? How does diet affect the microbiome? How does…
This post is part of the Meet a Microbe series on the blog. Check it out to meet other microbes! Microbes come in many shapes and sizes, appearing as spheres, rods, and spirals under the microscope. Aside from these more commonly found microbial shapes, many microbes take on a more unique appearance. One of these microbes is…
During pregnancy, a person’s body undergoes a lot of changes – hormone fluctuations, morning sickness, loosening joints and ligaments, and well, the obvious: growing a mini human. As a microbiologist, I’ve wondered about the microbiome. What changes have occurred in the vaginal microbiome? What do these changes mean? And can the vaginal microbiome be predictive…