Microbes Videos

(November 12, 2009 - Insidermedicine) From Pittsburgh - High hemoglobin levels may be a predictor of diabetic retinopathy later in life, according to a report published in the Archives of Ophthalmology. Researchers followed 426 diabetic patients for 18 years. For ever 1 g/dl increase in hemoglobin levels, men were at 29% increased risk of diabetic retinopathy, while women saw their risk increase by 10%. From Mexico - While young people are more likely to get the H1N1 flu, older people are more likely to die from it, according to a report published in The Lancet. Researchers found several interesting statistics on over 63, 000 cases of flu-like illnesses studied: 10.3% of those aged 70 and older who were infected died, while only 0.9% of those aged 20-29 died; 6% of pregnant women with H1N1 died; nearly 1% of all H1N1 cases died; the risk of catching H1N1 fell by 35% for those vaccinated for the seasonal flu; chronic underlying illnesses raised risk 6 fold; and finally, people who did not go to the hospital within four days of developing H1N1 symptoms had a 20% increased risk of death for each day they put off going to the hospital. And finally, from St. Louis - According to a report published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, a Westernized diet may lead to obesity through microbes found in the gut. Researchers implanted human intestinal microbes into mice and changed the rodents food from a plant based, low fat diet to a diet high in both fats and sugars. Results showed that microbes linked with obesity were immediately found in the mice intestines after the change in diet, with the mice eventually becoming obese.

Jonathan Eisen is a professor at the University of California, Davis Genome Center. Over the course of his career, he has pioneered new ways of sequencing microbial genomes and analyzing them. I talked to Eisen about some of the weirdest creatures he's studied, such as bacteria that only live on the bellies of worms at the bottom of the ocean, and how we may be able to exploit their genomes for our own benefit. We also discussed the new movement for open access to scientific literature, a subject that's a particular passion of Eisen, who is academic editor in chief at the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

Jonathan Eisen is a professor at the

Hazel Barton is the Ashland Professor of Integrative Science at Northern Kentucky. She explores some of the world's most remote caves to study the remarkable diversity of microbes that thrive in their dark recesses. I spoke to Barton about how she first became captivated by these bizarre organisms, what it's like to do delicate microbiology when you're hip-deep in mud, and why she wants to explore caves on Mars in search of Martians.

Hazel Barton is the Ashland Professor of Integrative Science at Northern Kentucky. She explores some of the world's most remote caves to study the remarkable diversity of microbes that thrive in their dark recesses. I spoke to Barton about how she first became captivated by these bizarre organisms, what it's like to do delicate microbiology when you're hip-deep in mud, and why she wants to explore caves on Mars in search of Martians.

Dennis Bray is an active professor emeritus in both the Department of Physiology and Department of Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. He studies the behavior of microbes--how they "decide" where to swim, when to divide, and how best to manage the millions of chemical reactions taking place inside their membranes. For Bray, microbes are tiny, living computers, with genes and proteins serving the roles of microprocessors. In this interview, I talked with Bray about his provocative new book, Wetware: A Living Computer Inside Every Cell.

Parents are often presented with conflicting messages about germs and cleanliness. On the one hand, the news headlines warn us about dangerous "superbugs." On the other hand, there is growing concern that over-cleaning and excessive hygiene may weaken children's immune systems. Fortunately, there is real, vetted science available to help us understand how to best protect, without overprotecting, our kids. In episode 26 of MicrobeWorld Video, we talk with Dr. Harley Rotbart, author of Germ Proof Your Kids: The Complete Guide to Protecting (without Overprotecting) Your Family from Infections. Dr. Rotbart, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at The University of Colorado and The Children's Hospital of Denver, has practiced, researched, and taught germ defense for the past 25 years. His new book serves as a resource for parents and health care providers to help put science back into the discussion of protecting kids from microscopic dangers. In addition to evaluating the traditional approaches to infection prevention (vaccines, antibiotics, etc.), Dr. Rotbart also analyzes the science behind Mom's advice about the effects of hygiene, nutrition, sleep, stress, exercise, and even wearing boots in the rain. It turns out Mom was right most of the time. This video was filmed live at the Marian Koshland Science Museum in Washington, D.C. and in various locations around the DC metro area. For more audio and video podcasts about microbiology, health and life science-related subjects, please visit www.microbeworld.org. If you would like to know more about Germ Proof Your Kids please visit www.germproofyourkids.com.

What kinds of bacteria are growing in your sink or your refrigerator? How about on your keyboard at work? Does soap really reduce the amount of bacteria on your hands? Dr. Keith Lampel of the Food and Drug Administration helps citizen scientists discover the world of bacteria in and around us. Filmed at the Marian Koshland Science Museum in Washington, D.C., this two-part science lab kicked off with a hands-on activity in the museum to observe the invisible bacteria that are present all around us. Attendees were shown how to prepare samples in the museum and took lab supplies with them for further investigation in their homes, offices and schools. For the second part of program, participants shared their scientific endeavors from the previous week as Dr. Lampel answered their questions and discussed recent research at the FDA, new technologies, and new initiatives in food safety. Dr. Keith Lampel is the Director of the Division of Microbiology within the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). His research interests include the development of rapid detection methods for food-borne pathogens using DNA-based technology, and identifying the genes in these bacteria that are involved in the development of disease.

The American Society for Microbiology is helping African nations foster a scientific community that is better able to address the current and future problems that threaten not only the local population, but the world at large. Like many African countries, Zambia and South Africa are deeply affected by HIV and tuberculosis, as well as a number of other infectious diseases. In March of 2008, ASM President Cliff Houston, Ph.D., traveled to Zambia and South Africa to gauge and assess the Society s efforts to transfer knowledge and state of the art diagnostic technology training support in laboratories, schools and universities, and to assist in meeting the goals for care and treatment of people living with TB and HIV in these resource-limited countries.

Coral reefs are dying a death of a thousand cuts and their disappearance threatens not only the incredibly diverse ecosystem that depends on them, but also human health and welfare. In this episode of MicrobeWorld Video marine scientists Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Ph.D., chair of marine studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and Kiho Kim, Ph.D., director of the environmental studies program at American University, explain the important relationship between microbes and corals, and how this delicate symbiosis that sustains life on and around reefs is facing numerous threats from human interactions to global climate change. In addition, Tundi Agardy, Ph.D., founder and executive director of Sound Seas, discusses the need for public policy and community-based conservation efforts that may help stave off the degradation of these vital ocean ecosystems. According to a 2004 report issued by the World Wildlife Fund, 24% of the world's reefs are under imminent risk of collapse through human pressures; and a further 26% are under a longer term threat of collapse. If nothing is done to protect these resources, many scientists estimate that reefs around the West Indies in the Caribbean will be gone by 2020, while the Great Barrier Reef may only last for another three decades. Please visit the following sites for more information about coral reefs: www.climateshifts.org www.reefrelief.org www.coralreef.noaa.gov Please feel free to embed or distribute this video.

MicrobeWorld visits The Maloy Lab at San Diego State University to talk with Professor Stanley Maloy and three grad students, Dave Matthews, Gerardo Perez and Veronica Casas, about their research. The Maloy Lab focuses on the genetics and physiology of Salmonella and bacteriophage that infect Salmonella. Maloy and his students use a combination of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and genomic approaches to answer questions about the uptake of DNA from bacteriophage, transfer of genes between bacteria and phage, and the evolution of pathogenesis.

Since the introduction of MSX and Dermo in the 1950 s, two infectious diseases that played a large role in the decline the Chesapeake Bay s oyster population, several oyster hatcheries along the Eastern seaboard are working with scientists across many fields to develop innovative restoration programs. One idea is to introduce a non-native oyster from China called Crassostrea ariakensis. In this video podcast, MicrobeWorld talks about current research underway with C. ariakensis, the potential risk of new diseases that could affect the Bay s ecology and/or human health, the attitudes of Maryland s watermen toward the oysters possible introduction, and the role of local, state and federal policy. Special thanks goes out to the DC Science Writers Association, the Marian Koshland Science Museum and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science s Horn Point Laboratory for helping with the logistics and planning of the shoot.

MicrobeWorld and the Koshland Science Museum present a video podcast of comedian Brian Malow that includes excerpts from his science comedy act on infectious disease and an interview about the geek mystique of science.

This video, produced in partnership with Global Health TV, showcases the American Society for Microbiology's laboratory capacity building ... all initiatives in Zambia. The film focuses on ASM's support to the Zambian Ministry of Health and US government agencies in the strengthening of clinical microbiology services with the objective of integration of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS laboratory infrastructure. Consultants representing ASM have traveled to Zambia to train researchers on diagnostics for TB, blood culture, and basic bacteriology. For more information about ASM's international activities, please visit www.asm.org.

QuickTime 7 Player - download free here We had a great time at Knoll Farms. Kristie and Rick Knoll were generous with their time and information, and their farm is a verdant wonderland full of beautiful plants and trees. "Tairwa" is the name they coined for their produce, from the french word terroir meaning "the essence of place." The essence of this farm is surely its lovingly cultivated soil, which imbues their crops with a uniquely delicious flavor. Devoted to keeping their commerce local, Tairwa produce is scarcely available outside the Bay Area, but if you find yourself in San Francisco on a Saturday morning, definitely stop by the Ferry Plaza farmer's market to get some of their exquisite figs, herbs, flowers, tomatoes and greens!