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- A big leap into a tiny world -

Can't get enough? I can fix that.

Listen in

Have you ever wished you could listen to two passionate scientists explain microbiology to you in a fun and understandable way?

You're in luck - check out the Microbial Mondays podcast!

Microbial Mondays Spotify Cover.png

Welcome to Microbial Mondays!

Hi, Alex here. I'm fascinated by microbes: from viruses to bacteria to fungi and more. To be honest, it is equal parts the science and the human element of microbes that thrills me. I'm fascinated with these little bugs not only because they outnumber us humans, but also because of how much microbes shape our lives - and the course of human history.

Check out this video to hear about some of ways that microbes impact us humans - and why you should care about our little microbial buddies, too.

Film Sponsored by FameLab Netherlands.

Filmed and produced by Niels de Groot www.promotionfilm.nl

Why should I care?

Microbes are constantly changing the world around us, in all sorts of little seen and unseen ways! From outbreaks of the bubonic plague to outbreaks of SARS, from the yeast used in ancient beers to the yeast in your Mum's sourdough starter: microbes shape human experiences, history, and society (or should I say 'culture'... get it?) every day. "How could I not care?" is perhaps a better question!

A Disclaimer

Although we have many opinions about (medical) microbiology, we are not medical doctors. Microbial Mondays is intended to educate and empower, but not to diagnose nor treat. Please use this knowledge sharing project as intended, and seek guidance from your doctor where appropriate. Thanks!

Read the blog

Animal models: Deciphering the puzzle of ASD piece by piece

Animal models: Deciphering the puzzle of ASD piece by piece

Picture trying to solve a puzzle depicting a mesmerizing scene... Without a guide or reference. That is the challenge that scientists face.

Selma Weerdenburg

Feb 26, 20248 min read

100 views

0 comments

Microbiota Mayhem: Exploring the links between antibiotics, gut health and autism

Microbiota Mayhem: Exploring the links between antibiotics, gut health and autism

In the past, researchers thought ASD was all in your DNA. But we've learned a lot more about the gut-brain connection since then...

Selma Weerdenburg

Feb 19, 20248 min read

119 views

0 comments

The wonders of the collaboration between your microbiota and your brain

The wonders of the collaboration between your microbiota and your brain

There are three main routes that bacteria living in the city of your gut can use to send messages to the brain: (1) via the blood, (2) via t

Selma Weerdenburg

Feb 12, 20248 min read

183 views

0 comments

How to understand the universe: A story about the scientific method

How to understand the universe: A story about the scientific method

These days I’m at the very end of my PhD, and I’ve been struggling to maintain my once seemingly-unshakable love for science. So, I...

Alex Cloherty

May 1, 20236 min read

224 views

0 comments

Sinking our teeth into Cordyceps

Sinking our teeth into Cordyceps

I get pretty easily hooked by a good television series, and for me, HBO's 'The Last of Us' was no different. But what was special about...

Alex Cloherty

Mar 13, 20235 min read

120 views

2 comments

How diversity can be powerful: Mycobacterium tuberculosis and antibiotic resistance

How diversity can be powerful: Mycobacterium tuberculosis and antibiotic resistance

The other day I visited my grandparents, and I told them about this mini-series I’m writing about tuberculosis (TB). We got into a...

Merel Sijbranda

Feb 27, 20238 min read

223 views

2 comments

The fortress of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The fortress of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Last November, I was in beautiful, sunny Lisbon, and as my parents and I looked back at the pictures we took there, something caught my...

Merel Sijbranda

Feb 20, 20237 min read

337 views

0 comments

Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Playing hide and seek

Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Playing hide and seek

When strolling through the streets of Utrecht, the town in the Netherlands that I live in, you sometimes hear people using ‘Tering’ as a...

Merel Sijbranda

Feb 13, 20236 min read

408 views

0 comments

SARS-CoV-2: An army, or a single violin?

SARS-CoV-2: An army, or a single violin?

I haven’t written about SARS-CoV-2 for a while on Microbial Mondays - I’ve been busy revising a scientific manuscript on it instead - but...

Alex Cloherty

Feb 5, 20239 min read

125 views

0 comments

Sharing spit

Sharing spit

If you’ve been keeping up with Microbial Mondays articles, you’re already pretty well versed in the fact that there are a lot of bacteria...

Alex Cloherty

Jan 30, 20234 min read

70 views

0 comments

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