Category Archives: Microbiology

Now That We Can Sequence Thousands of Bacterial Strains, How the Hell Are We Going to Store Them?

Posted on May 7, 2013 by

I ask this as a key influence on my intellectual development–such as it is–is paleontology (some of my best friends are paleontologists…actually, that’s true). And in that discipline, specimens are key. Certainly, any material that is published is retained in … Continue reading →

Posted in Genomics, Microbiology, Museums etc. | 2 Comments

The Healthcare Crisis Is Still Not Budgetary: Once More Unto the CRE Breach

Posted on March 7, 2013 by

One of the most frustrating things about the whole fixation on deficits and budgets is that it ignores the real crises we face, such as carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (E. coli and relatives that are resistant to virtually all antibiotic therapy): This … Continue reading →

Posted in Fucking Morons, I For One Welcome Our Austerity Overlords, KPC, Microbiology, NDM-1, Public Health, We're Really Fucked | 1 Comment

Why Conservatives Can’t Stop Talking About Rape: Because It’s the New Rubella

Posted on March 4, 2013 by

So it appears that, just as the furor over Todd Akin’s magical vaginas has died down (he was the Republican who claimed that rape victm’s vaginas have ways to “shut down” pregnancy), they seem to have gone full-bore stupid again: … Continue reading →

Posted in Blastocyst Liberation, Microbiology, Rape, Vaccination | 3 Comments

WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS! Norovirus and Food Handling

Posted on January 7, 2013 by

Because I haven’t beaten that drum in a while. Carl Zimmer, drawing on this CDC report, gives us several tips on how to lessen your chances of getting norovirus (aka winter vomiting disease–trust me, it’s as fun as it sounds): … Continue reading →

Posted in CDC, Food, Microbiology, Public Health, Viruses, Vomit | 6 Comments

Is Our National Biodefense Really This Ignorant of Microbiology?

Posted on October 27, 2012 by

Or is it just ass-covering? Because this is a terrifying level of ignorance (boldface mine): In more than 30 cities, BioWatch samplers located atop buildings, in train stations and in other public places suck air through dry filters around the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fucking Morons, Microbiology, Terrorism | 4 Comments

Microbiome Creep, E. coli and Colorectal Cancer (Oh My!)

Posted on August 23, 2012 by

My recent snark-laden post about the microbiome was in part inspired by the coverage of this Science paper “Intestinal Inflammation Targets Cancer-Inducing Activity of the Microbiota.” Interestingly, the coverage of this paper didn’t make Jonathan Eisen happy either: Some studies … Continue reading →

Posted in E. coli, Microbiology, Microbiome, News Media | 3 Comments

How Not to Isolate E. coli

Posted on June 30, 2012 by

If you’re interested in studying what ‘real’ bacteria do–that is, not the microbiological equivalent of anemic inbred lab rats–you have to isolate them from natural samples. Yogi Berra-esque statements notwithstanding, how you isolate bacteria is critical. Methodological details do matter. … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, E. coli, Microbiology, Viruses | 2 Comments

Why I Think Microbial Genomics Will Be More Profitable Than Human Genomics Over the Short Term

Posted on June 26, 2012 by

And just to be clear, by profitable, I do mean money. Jim Golden describes the problems with using genomics to directly combat cancer (i.e., not basic research; boldface mine): Every year there are 1.4 – 1.7 million new diagnoses of … Continue reading →

Posted in Genomics, Microbiology | 7 Comments

What’s Wrong With This NY Times Picture? (The Tb Edition)

Posted on June 12, 2012 by

So the NY Times has a good story about the rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis in China; it’s worth checking out. But this picture associated with it made me do a spittake. Can you guess why? That’s right. It’s a system … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Humor, Microbiology, MRSA | 4 Comments

Maybe This Blogging Thing Does Some Good After All

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

Global Communications Headquarters of the Mad Biologist (from here) From the Mad Biologist’s far-flung global network of correspondents, we receive the following: Hey, just a quick thanks – your link to the Scientific American article about putting bee honey on … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Education, Microbiology | 1 Comment