Best of the blog

It’s been a busy few months for us here on the blog, and we’ve covered research from across the world (and out of it).

Back in April, we learnt about Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, the causative agent of Snake Fungal Disease, an emerging pathogen that is spreading rapidly across North America. Anand Jagatia interviewed Dr Jeffrey Lorch from the National Wildlife Health Center in America about his work on the fungus. First reported on the East Coast in 2006, this often-fatal disease has now been detected in 16 American states and in Canada.

Members of the UK Parliament often have to debate issues outside of their area of expertise. How do they get the background information they need to stay up-to-date on the latest research? The answer is the Commons Library, staffed by 70 specialist staff working across eight subject areas. Our Policy Officer, Paul Richards, reviewed a ‘Policy Lunchbox’ event that saw Ed Potton, Head of Science and Environment at the Library, explain the service.

For the podcast in June, I was lucky enough to interview Dr Kate Rubins, a virologist who at this moment is orbiting the Earth at 17,000 miles an hour aboard the International Space Station. At the time of our interview, Kate was in the final few weeks of training ahead of the mission’s launch. We talked about her transition from one career to another, having to learn chemistry and physics, and whether a pipette works upside down!

Parasitic worms affect millions of people and represent a significant health burden worldwide. However, might there be an upside to these infections? On the April podcast, Anand interviewed Dr Ken Cadwell from New York University, who has been investigating whether worms can cure inflammatory conditions of the digestive tract.

Finally in this round up, we looked at the history of vaccines, from their beginnings in the 15th century through to the modern methods used to create them today.

I’ll be back again in the next issue to tell about some more of the content you might have missed. In the meantime, keep an eye on the blog at Microbe Post and search for the podcast on iTunes or on SoundCloud.

BENJAMIN THOMPSON

Head of Communications
[email protected]