by Christoph — In his recent post, Roberto was pleased to learn of a study addressing bacterial chemical ecology within a very small ecosystem, namely the hair follicles of human skin, where Cutibacterium acnes contend with Staphylococci. Here now, it's again about C. acnes, but this time about several strains competing for growth in human hair follicles, pores. An ecological family affair, so to speak. Read more →
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Talmudic Question #208
by Memo Berkmen — Can you imagine a place where conditions have remained relatively constant throughout much of Earth's history... Read more →
Chemical Ecology of the Skin Microbiota
by Roberto — The secretion of small molecules is likely one of the most common ways in which bacteria interact with other bacteria, regardless of their environmental setting. Like many others, I like to refer to that universe of chemical interactions as "bacterial chemical ecology." Read more →
Latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infections
by Roberto — A quarter of the world's population – that's two billion people – is estimated to be latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This staggering number is often presented in scientific publications, used by funding agencies for strategic planning, and taught to students (I've done this myself). But where does this number come from? Read more →
Patterns to Structures
by Christoph — I first saw this image a while ago on Twitter (now 𝕏) and I will put down a few thoughts about it here because it illustrates so well how microscopists, especially cryo-electron tomographers, work. And what distinguishes their way of working from that of artists and where the two meet. Read more →
Fine Reading: Lessons from the COVID Pandemic
by Roberto — For many, the horrors lived through the pandemic are now receding memories. From a more objective perspective, we can now begin to ponder some key questions. What did each one of us learn from the experience? What should we have known from the start of the pandemic? Read more →
Surrounded by Antibiotic Resistance
by Mechas — Most of us have at some point used antibiotics. These "miracle drugs" stop infectious bacteria from growing out of control, essentially curing us from what could be fatal infections. But antibiotics are also marvelous for other reasons. Read more →
Microcins – Spanish foresight in studying gut microbial ecology
by Roberto — There is no need to go into great length to describe the current interest in the human microbiome, particularly the intestinal microbiome. It's a topic in microbial ecology that has recently attracted scientists and laypeople from across the world. But from reading about it... Read more →
[da capo] The Magasanik Paradox
by Elio — The journal Nature published a study of the most 100 most cited scientific papers that provides food for thought to the working stiffs (I used to be one). First of all, I find it quite natural for any researcher to keep an eye on how often his or her work is cited. Read more →