Microbiome Digest: Elizabeth Bik and her team of microbiota researchers sifts through hundreds of new papers about the latest research in microbiome, human and animal associated microbiota, and aquatic microbiomes. Follow her on twitter: @microbiomdigest

Learn about Mothur, a scripted bioinformatics software often used to analyze microbiome data, and check out the available workshop.

Qime2 is the other software typically used to analyze microbiome data.

Dan Knights has put together a YouTube series on ‘Discovering Patterns in the Microbiome.’

Learn how to use R statistical software with these tutorials from tutorialspoint.com.

 

Podcasts are a great way to get caught up on science while doing something else (dishes, running, beading, etc). They can be listened to on-line (see links below) or through a variety of apps (itunes, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, etc). Some of our favorite microbiology podcasts:

Microbiology/clinical podcasts:

This Week in….series (Microbiology, Virology, Evolution, Parasitism) provides behind the scenes stories of recent primary research. Included in each TWIM, TWIV, TWIE podcast: information on the lead authors of papers, in depth discussion of recent papers at the levels accessible to undergraduates through established scientists, chatter about the latest conferences, listeners picks for the latest in research. TWIP includes a case study about parasitic infections from infectious disease doctors. See the full list of science podcasts from microbe.tv here: https://www.microbe.tv/

The Febrile podcast offers in depth  discussion about clinical cases from medical doctors and students.

This Podcast Will Kill You does a deep dive into a specific disease for each episode, including the history, clinical information, and the state of the disease at the time of airing.

Tiny Vampires is a podcast about disease, science, and blood sucking insects.

Editors in Conversation podcasts by the American Society for Microbiology Journals is exactly what it sounds like...editors of ASM journals discuss papers on the cutting edge of issues in microbiology.

Matters Microbials includes interviews from microbiologists about their research.

General science podcasts

Ologies podcast is a mix of an interview with an expert and a bunch of side stories about a specific field of study. Smallogies are the same episodes with the adult content removed for kiddos.

Science Vs podcasts are well-researched dives into a wide variety of questions in science. Each episodes come with a list of citations that back up their discussion.

Lost Women of Science podcasts highlights women in a wide variety of science areas that have contributed significantly to science but have been left out of history and text books.

We Out Here podcast tells the stories of Black, brown, and Indigenous folks in science and nature. They also have the same stories with adult content removed for the kiddos.

Short Wave from NPR are short (15 minute) episodes about new discoveries in science

Science Friday offers insight into broad topics in science, from astronomy to zoology and everything in between. Includes interviews with primary researchers, policy makers, and popular science figures.

Radio Lab is a science show for a general audience and science aficionados. Each episode is a well-produced story that tackles a topic related to a wide variety of science topics from multiple angles.

Academia specific podcasts

If you are looking for insight into academic careers, check out The Effort Report. Professors Elizabeth Matsui and Roger Peng discuss bioinformatics, running labs, grant writing, and so much more as they offer insight into the daily lives of PIs.

Want to hear about how academics from historically excluded and underrepresented backgrounds are surviving academia? Check out Academic Aunties.

Only a small number of PhDs end up in an academic career. Looking for insight into non-academic careers? Check out Recovering Academic, a podcast about leaving academia.