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Tiny Living Beings

Tiny Living Beings

by Julia Van Etten

Latest episode
Protist Parasites of Corals and Fish - With Anthony Bonacolta

About this podcast

Tiny Living Beings is where listeners get to know a scientist, a weird microorganism they like, and why they think it's interesting. Our planet is full of billions of different microscopic organisms, most of which are still unknown to science. The ones we do know are diverse and strange. Microbiology knowledge is often gatekept by scientists who discuss this information in exclusive professional circles, but more of these topics need to be shared with the public! Although generally upbeat and fun, conversations often tangentially address frustrations with society or become existential, which, because of the time we are living through, is inherently connected to any discussion of topical scientific information. Content is geared toward all ages and backgrounds, anyone who is scientifically curious.

Episodes

The newest 20 of 30 episodes

  • Protist Parasites of Corals and Fish - With Anthony Bonacolta · 1 h 11 min · Season 3 Episode 3We might not all know the term "Apicomplexa" but there are some famous apicomplexan parasites (protists) that infect humans, like those that cause malaria and cyclosporiasis, the…
  • Giant Algal Viruses with The J Van Ettens · 1 h 30 min · Season 3 Episode 2Giant viruses changed what biologists thought a virus could be. This week, I interview Dr. James Van Etten, whose lab discovered chloroviruses 45 years ago. These are "giant"…
  • Introducing the Fire Amoeba - with Angela Oliverio and Beryl Rappaport · 1 h 4 min · Season 3 Episode 1Eukaryotes are "complex" organisms with nuclei and membrane-bound organelles: plants, animals, fungi, and protists. Protists include many understudied lineages of fascinating…
  • Parasites in our pets' poop - with Ben Alverson · 1 h 0 min · Season 2 Episode 8Microbes are everywhere, including inside our pets! This week, Ben Alverson comes on to give us a crash course in veterinary parasitology. He discusses the variety of worms and…
  • Is science political? - with Kevin Bird · 1 h 29 min · Season 2 Episode 7American science has been under attack since this Trump administration began. Tens of thousands of scientists and federal workers have lost their jobs and the effects are…
  • The Diatom Detective - with Kirstie Scott · 58 min · Season 2 Episode 6If you tuned in last week, you'll know that diatoms produce one quarter of the air we breathe (and they produced this podcast's logo), but did you know that they can also be used…
  • Diatoms and dinoflagellates and dinotoms, oh my! - with Brittany Sprecher · 1 h 0 min · Season 2 Episode 5Diatoms are beautiful (and weird). Dinoflagellates are weird (and beautiful). They are completely different organisms but both are protists that can both support whole ecosystems…
  • Sharks of the plankton - with Matt Johnson · 1 h 9 min · Season 2 Episode 4Did you know that some organisms, from protists to sea slugs, steal photosynthesis? This week Dr. Matt Johnson is on the podcast to talk about his work on kleptoplasty, the…
  • Urine for a treat - with Owen Hale · 1 h 8 min · Season 2 Episode 3Newsflash! Urine is not sterile! This week we have Owen Hale on the podcast to talk about the urinary tract microbiome, which is really understudied. We discuss which bacteria…
  • Where did plants come from? - with Blair Young · 1 h 0 min · Season 2 Episode 2Bryophytes are an ancient group of plants that include hornworts, liverworts, and mosses. They are the evolutionary link between land plants and the green algal ancestors that…
  • 4.5 billion years of Earth history in one hour - with Bolton Howes · 1 h 21 min · Season 2 Episode 1Did you know the continents move at the same rate as your fingernails grow? Welcome BACK to Tiny Living Beings after a couple years off! For the first episode of the new season…
  • Life is beautiful - with Ursula Goodenough · 51 min · Season 1 Episode 18Dr. Ursula Goodenough has a scientific career that spans six decades, numerous accolades, and is a writer of both textbook and popular science books. But her crowning achievement…
  • Choanoflagellates and animal evolution - with David Booth · 54 min · Season 1 Episode 17Choanoflagellates are unicellular protists but they also happen to be the closest living relatives to animals. This week, David Booth discusses what choanoflagellates are, where…
  • Getting to know lichens - with Dennis Waters · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 16Do you ever walk past an old building or a tree or a big rock and notice splotchy green or orange or yellow blobs growing all over it? Well, these are probably lichens! Lichens…
  • Fungi are everywhere - with Kaydubs the hiking scientist · 56 min · Season 1 Episode 15Is fungi everywhere? Is it on our eyeballs and in our nose hairs? Yes, yes, and yes! This week I talk to Dr. Kristen aka Kaydubs about fungi in general and forest fungi in…
  • Tardigrade takedown - with Chloé Savard · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 14Tardigrades aka water bears aka moss piglets are extremely popular! This is due to their tolerance of harsh environments and because of their perceived "cuteness". This week, I…
  • The gut microbiome - with Haley Hallowell · 59 min · Season 1 Episode 13What are the microbes in our gut up to? And how does their life affect our lives? This week, Dr. Haley Hallowell teaches us all about the gut microbiome and virome, that is, how…
  • Polar microbes - with Jaz Millar · 52 min · Season 1 Episode 12Did you know there are microbes living in holes in glaciers? What are they doing there and what can we learn from them? Quite a lot actually! This week, Dr. Jaz Millar and I talk…
  • The Great Oxygenation Event - With John Encarnacion · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 11How do we know what the Earth was like billions of years ago? And where did all the oxygen come from? Spoiler alert: it's microbes! This week I speak with Dr. John Encarnacion…
  • Hobby microscopy - with Lena Struwe · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 10How can you get started with hobby microscopy? What products and practices do we recommend? Why do we have a conflict with the Unicode emoji consortium? And what on earth is a…

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