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Microbial Mondays: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Merel Sijbranda and Alex Cloherty
Microbes are constantly changing the world around us, in all sorts of seen & unseen ways. From outbreaks of the bubonic plague to outbreaks of SARS, from the yeast used in ancient beers to the yeast in your sourdough starter: microbes shape human experiences, history, & society. Join us in exploring this big microbial world!Microbial Mondays' hosts are scientists who share a passion for science communication. Alex Cloherty holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Amsterdam, & Merel Sijbranda is completing her PhD in Immunology at the Karolinska Institute. Theme music by Jacky Deng.
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- Apr 6, 202627 min
How HPV causes cancer, and how we can stop it in its tracks
In the last years, especially when the first HPV vaccine came out in 2006, we have heard a lot of commotion around this HPV vaccine and HPV’s link to cancer. In today’s episode, we share the story of how scientists discovered the link between HPV and cancer, and how the HPV vaccine works.
- Mar 2, 202623 min
Microbes in space!
In the last episode of Microbial Mondays, we covered what happens to our immune systems during space flight… but what about the microbes we bring with us? This month, join us in exploring how flying into space can impact microbial life from earth! Main publication discussed:Wilson et al., Space flight alters bacterial gene expression and virulence and reveals a role for global regulator Hfq, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104 (41) 16299-16304, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0707155104 (2007).
- Feb 2, 202623 min
Your Immune System in Space
Humans have been heading into space to explore beyond earth for decades already. But when we head beyond our own atmosphere, what happens to our immune system? In this episode, we dive into astro-immunology: a sub-field of immunology that focuses on how our immune system responds to spaceflight. Let's dive in! Key reference: Winer D.A. et al. Astroimmunology: the effects of spaceflight and its associated stressors on the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-025-01226-6
- Jan 12, 202628 min
Permafrost Pandora’s Box
The summer of 2016 was warm in Siberia. So warm that the permafrost melted more than usual… releasing a dangerous microbe out onto the surface. In this episode, we dive into this historical example of an old microbe emerging from the permafrost, talk about how microbes can survive in the deep cold… and idee should be worried about what else might emerge.
- Dec 1, 202525 min
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 explained!
Have you ever wondered how our immune system finds the balance in attacking invading viruses and bacteria that try to enter our bodies, but not attacking our own body cells? The groundbreaking discoveries concerning this topic, called 'peripheral immune tolerance', by Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025! It tells us a lot about how the immune system functions in health and disease!In this episode, we dive into:the discoveries that led to winning this year's Nobel Prize, Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi's journey to get to these discoveries,what impact these discoveries have had in the past, still have now, and will have in the future!This podcast episode was created based on the Popular Science Background and Scientific Background published on nobelprize.org . If you are interested in learning more, read here: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2025/press-release/
- Oct 31, 202522 min
Microbial ghost towns: Life after death in the Necrobiome
Welcome to our Halloween special! Once your heart stops, what happens to all of the microbes that call your body home? Tonight, we explore the silent cities left behind when we die. Scientists call this the necrobiome: the community of microbes that thrive on and around decomposing bodies.In this episode we explore how microbes take over our bodies after death, the impact that decomposing bodies can have on the environment around them, and take a look at how microbial activity can even help forensic scientists estimate time of death.Let's dive into this spooky topic together! More Reading & Sources:Necrobiome framework for bridging decomposition ecology of autotrophically and heterotrophically derived organic matter, Benbow et al. 2018A conserved interdomain microbial network underpins cadaver decomposition despite environmental variables, Burcham et al. 2024Microbial community coalescence and nitrogen cycling in simulated mortality decomposition hotspots, Keenen et al. 2023BBC: Rewilding death: The plan to restore the necrobiome
- Oct 6, 202538 min
Origins Unresolved: Tracing SARS-CoV-2’s Source
Where did SARS-CoV-2 come from?In this episode of Microbial Mondays, we unpack the findings from the WHO’s Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO)’s recent report. We revisit key theories, from a natural spillover event involving bats or intermediate hosts, to the lab leak hypothesis—and discuss why neither can be dismissed outright.Join us as we explore what’s known, what’s missing, and why uncovering the virus’s origins matters for preventing future pandemics.More reading We covered this topic back in a blog series in 2021:Part 1: https://www.microbialmondays.com/post/lab-leaks-and-affinis-excrement-or-how-a-scientist-thinksPart 2: https://www.microbialmondays.com/post/where-did-the-virus-come-from-part-iiRead the SAGO report: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/independent-assessment-of-the-origins-of-sars-cov-2-from-the-scientific-advisory-group-for-the-origins-of-novel-pathogens
- Sep 1, 202523 min
Are we what we eat? How diet impacts the immune system
Hippocrates said, “let food be they medicine.” Was he right? In this episode, Alex and Merel dive into this question from an immunological point of view. Join is for a balanced take on the links between diet, health, and the immune system, in which we explore the evidence on if different diets can impact the functioning of our immune system — and if so, how. A hint? Our gut microbes may play a role 🦠 This episode was produced by Alex Cloherty, Merel Sijbranda, and Eric Sala Solé, and edited by Eric Sala Solé.
About Microbial Mondays
Microbes are constantly changing the world around us, in all sorts of seen & unseen ways. From outbreaks of the bubonic plague to outbreaks of SARS, from the yeast used in ancient beers to the yeast in your sourdough starter: microbes shape human experiences, history, & society. Join us in exploring this big microbial world!Microbial Mondays' hosts are scientists who share a passion for science communication. Alex Cloherty holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Amsterdam, & Merel Sijbranda is completing her PhD in Immunology at the Karolinska Institute. Theme music by Jacky Deng.
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