Petri Dish

We have a special kind of episode for y'all this week! Nathan and Sean dive into the scientific work of the first Black chemist inducted into the National Academy of Science in the United States, Dr. ...

22 Feb 202144min

Last episode we discussed the history of antibiotics and alluded to RESISTANCE, the ability of bacteria to adapt to antibiotics to the point where the drugs aren't effective anymore. This is a huge, g...

15 Feb 202154min

What do ancient Anglo-Saxons, scientists in Nazi Germany, and moldy petri dishes have in common? They all were working hard to kill bacteria using antibiotics! What are antibiotics and what is the his...

8 Feb 202146min

Tens of thousands of organs are transplanted each year in the US alone, but this big number of transplantations still falls short of the need: many people remain on the waitlist for organs and a numbe...

1 Feb 20211h

Our first episode ever was about the microbiome, all the little bacteria and fungi and other folks living on and inside of us. While maybe you might not have heard of the microbiome, you've probably h...

25 Jan 202150min

Proteins, DNA, viruses, cells... they're all so small, it is hard to get a feel for what their deal is, they just seem so abstract! This week on Petri Dish, Nathan and Sean shrink down to the size of ...

18 Jan 202138min

Millions of people have been vaccinated all over the world and by now you're probably at least somewhat acquainted with the two vaccines that have been emergency-approved in the USA. But did you know ...

11 Jan 20211h 9min

*Note* Sean says napa cabbage may be from a hybridization between radish and bok choy, and that they are the same species -- he meant TURNIP and bok choy. Radish is part of the same FAMILY as those ot...

4 Jan 202153min