30 Sep 2026

Microbe Talk - Blastocystis: friend or foe?

📣 Episode 187 is out now! It's the most abundant eukaryotic microbe in humans… But what role does it play in our bodies? For decades, Blastocystis has been thought of as a parasite just like other protists that lurk within humans, such as Plasmodium or Giardia. But research is increasingly finding the opposite to be true, and scientists across the world are fighting to change this perception.

This month on Microbe Talk, Lilly is joined by Dr Anastasios Tsaousis and Dr Varol Tunali to discuss their four-year COST Action project, which brought together experts from around the world to understand what the evidence is actually uncovering about the role of Blastocystis.

Time Stamps

1:55 - What is Blastocystis? 

4:54 - The controversial role of Blastocystis in the body and why there is such a difference in opinion

13:39 - The aims and findings of the COST Action project on Blastocystis

21:51 - A potential future in industry

23:17 - Will perceptions ever change around Blastocystis?

You can also find this podcast on Spotify, Apple podcasts, iHeartRadio, and more. You can download an auto-generated transcript of the podcast here.

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