Episode 114: MicroNews January

MicroNews is the sister series of our podcast Microbe Talk, where we discuss some of the times microbes and microbiology have been in the news over the last month. Listen to Matt and Laura discussing the microbes beetles use to hide their food, sea star wasting disease and the inherited microbiome of plants.We know almost nothing about giant viruses: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/01/giant-viruses-can-change-their-hosts-dna/617555/Some bacteria are suffocating sea stars, turning the animals to goo: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bacteria-suffocating-sea-stars-wasting-disease-gooBeetle parents manipulate information broadcast from bacteria in a rotting corpse: https://theconversation.com/beetle-parents-manipulate-information-broadcast-from-bacteria-in-a-rotting-corpse-151447Brazilian ant farm yields new antifungal compound: https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2021/01/20/Brazilian-ant-farm-yields-new-antifungal-compound/1471611120400/?ur3=1Seeds transfer their microbes to the next generation: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210121131652.htmA Sustainable Future policy reports: https://microbiologysociety.org/news/society-news/a-sustainable-future-policy-reports-published-today.html