On September 6^th, 2017, the organization known as PETA or the People for the ethical treatment of animals called out to their vegan brethren to donate their stool…for SCIENCE! [1]  For those who are unaware, Fecal Microbiota Transplants or FMT’s are a relatively new but promising treatment for individuals who have had their guts ravaged by the pathogenic...

Throughout history there has been an ongoing conversation about the mystical “living light” that shows up fluttering in the sky, churning beneath the ocean waves, and dancing across the forest floor. Stories have been passed down depicting this fantastical phenomenon stemming from all different cultures and histories. From ocean explorers that discovered the deep sea dwelling animals that illuminate...

Lake Natron is a vast body of water, 57 kilometers (35 mi) long and 22 kilometers (14 mi) wide, in the Great Rift Valley of Eastern Africa right along the Northern border of Tanzania and Kenya. Located at the base of the volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai, you will first notice the deep red hue of its water, and a water face that appears to be tiled, caused by a thick coat of salt at the surface. Lake Natron...

Environmental monitoring (EM) is a proactive tool for Quality Assurance and is a critical process within pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The process is important in determining the microbial...

These days, most people are aware that bacteria have benefits to our health and that not all bacteria are to be feared. Probiotic packed yogurts proudly proclaim their rich source of beneficial microbes. Health conscious Americans have taken the time to learn how to balance their intestinal flora based on research showing links between your gut and your mood. Most are now aware that the perfectly aged...

Microbiologists are a very opinionated group of individuals, and it is, at times, difficult to get consensus and standardization on certain procedures. Whether to heat fix or methanol fix slides in preparation for Gram staining is one of those controversial procedures....

The average soccer ball is about 1.6 million times bigger than a grain of sand. A grain of sand is about a million times
bigger than a single bacterial cell, and a single bacterial cell can be 40 to 100 times bigger than a norovirus...

We know there are all kinds of ways bacteria make us safer. They help digest our food, they create vitamins, decompose waste, and out-compete pathogens from invading our system.

Could bacteria also help catch criminals invading our house?

A study by the Fort Lauderdale police department suggests they may. Recently, studies have been popping up left and right that suggest...

Early Life:

Louis Pasteur is, simply put, a continued source of inspiration for chemists and microbiologists around the world. His work found new ways to preserve our food, revolutionized healthcare, and has potentially saved millions of lives. He fundamentally changed how the world perceived biology by drawing attention to the microscopic building blocks of life. He worked at the...

No, Blood Falls is not the newest Norwegian metal band, but it is actually a naturally occurring geologic wonder.  Blood falls flows out of the Taylor Glacier in Antarctica onto the neighboring West Lake Bonney which is completely frozen over. The isolated (even for Antarctica) anomaly as well as the glacier and valley was discovered in 1911 by an Australian geologist by the name of Griffith Taylor...

If you were on the internet a few months ago, then you more than likely saw this photo. The woman behind this image is Tasha Sturm, a Laboratory Technician for Cabrillo College and became, seemingly overnight, a sensation because of her love of microbiology. The image went viral on social media and news channels. Overnight, microbiology seemingly captured the attention of the world.  She took the sample...