Superbugs Phone Game and Longitude Prize Competition #Resistance

This looks pretty cool Source: Superbugs | Longitude Prize From their site Destroy deadly bacteria and keep humanity’s precious antibiotics working for as long as you can in this free, fast-paced, and addictive action game. The story of this casual, real-time puzzle game comes straight from today’s headlines: The rise of superbugs, resistant bacteria which …

Everyone should read this piece by Ed Yong: Norm Pace Blew The Door Off The Microbial World

There is a wonderful tribute to Norm Pace in the Atlantic by Ed Yong. Norm Pace truly did blow the door off the microbial world. Source: Norm Pace Blew The Door Off The Microbial World – The Atlantic Lots of good stuff in there about Pace and his career.  See for example this: Pace also …

Research on mitigating risk from airborne pathogens in cars… but is there a risk?

Came across this study today “Airborne Pathogens inside Automobiles for Domestic Use: Assessing In-Car Air Decontamination Devices Using Staphylococcus aureus as the Challenge Bacterium”.   What struck me from the start was the Abstract which begins: Family cars represent ∼74% of the yearly global output of motorized vehicles. With a life expectancy of ∼8 decades in …

Assistant/Associate Professor of Soil Microbiomes, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University

To support the services that soils provide we need to regenerate their health. Healthy soils thrive with microbial life. The Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position to study the microbiomes of soil systems. This position is a 50% research, 40% teaching, and 10% service …

An interesting idea – “The Genomics Education Alliance”

Just got an email pointing me to this White Paper on Figshare …… Seems like a worthy ambition and worth a look. Some key bits: Vision The rapid pace of scientific advancement presents a continuing challenge to effective life science education. The genomics revolution brings with it a unique challenge for the biology educator, as …

Worth a look: DNA Links Deadly Germs, Tainted Heart Surgery Devices To German Factory 

Quick post here. This is definitely worth a look for those interested in hospital acquired infections, microbial genomics, and genomic epidemiology or related topics. LivaNova plant in Germany is the likely source behind outbreak that has sickened more than 100 people since 2013. Source: DNA Links Deadly Germs, Tainted Heart Surgery Devices To German Factory …

This story about naked surgery has no clothes …

A University of Washington study found surgeons in the nude shed ‘significantly less bacteria than those wearing scrubs’, but admitted it was not likely to ever happen. So – this DailyMail story certainly has a catchy headline: Surgeons can stop spread of germs by operating NAKED | Daily Mail Online. Alas, the story is seriously …

“House dust spurs growth of fat cells in lab tests”

While not directly related to microbiology, this story about house dust caught my eye.   The title of the press release really says it all, “House dust spurs growth of fat cells in lab tests”.   Looks like the probable guilty compounds are man-made things like fire retardants but there’s certainly a possibility for microbially produced volatiles …