Outreach

External videos, articles, and podcasts featuring the work of students, faculty, and staff of the One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State.

Videos

What is a Microbiome? - Hey! I Got a Question About That

Emily Davenport, assistant professor of biology at Penn State, visits Nate and Sam in the newly-revamped studio to talk sh*t. Well, sort of. Emily studies the human microbiome, how it evolved, and how it is related to human health. So, what is the microbiome? What kind of organisms make up our microbiome? How come it seems to be in the news so much lately? And, should we take probiotics? Watch the video...

Decoding Host-Microbiota Communication Through Metabolomics

In this webinar, sponsored by the NIH Metabolomics Interest Group, Andrew Patterson, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University, focuses on decoding host microbiota communication through metabolomics.

Podcasts

The Soil Blooms Green

Genome Insider
In this podcast, Terry Bell, assistant professor of phytobiomes, and Mary Ann Bruns, associate professor of soil microbiology and biogeochemistry, discuss their work on soil surface consortia with Genome Insider host Alison Takemura. They discuss why these consortia might be of interest to farmers, as well as how their interactions with other microorganisms in the environment could influence their activity. Listen to podcast...

Conversation with Associate Professor of Anthropology Laura Weyrich

The Past, Present and Future of the Human Niche
In this conversation we discuss what role the microbiome played in our evolution, and how it has shaped us, from our health and diet to our culture and lived experience. The microbiome is everywhere and by weight or biomass is a far greater entity than humans. We shape it, but it’s around us, in us, everywhere and shaping us in turn. For this discussion panel, we were joined by a panel of young scientists from our Institute: Dr Steven Goldstein, Dr Shevan Wilkins, Dr Emma Finestone, and Samantha Brown. Listen to podcast...

Articles

Why you need more Vitamin D in the winter

THE CONVERSATION
Winter is upon us and so is the risk of vitamin D deficiency and infections. Vitamin D, which is made in our skin following sunlight exposure and also found in oily fish (mackerel, tuna and sardines), mushrooms and fortified dairy and nondairy substitutes, is essential for good health. Humans need vitamin D to keep healthy and to fight infections. The irony is that in winter, when people need vitamin D the most, most of us are not getting enough. So how much should we take? Should we take supplements? How do we get more? And, who needs it most? Continue reading...

5 things you can do to make your microbiome healthier

THE CONVERSATION
It’s common for people to focus on their health at the start of the year. But few consider the well being of the microbes that live inside the human gut – the microbiome – which are vital to an individual’s good health. Continue reading...

Workshops

The One Health Microbiome Center hosts biweekly data analysis workshops, providing undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral researchers opportunities to learn more about microbiome analysis. Members of the Penn State community can access recordings of our previous workshops on the Center's DAWG Kaltura channel.

Seminars

The One Health Microbiome Center hosts weekly seminars for local, national, and international speakers. Recordings of each week can be found on our Kaltura or YouTube channel.

Data and Code

The Center posts its workshop and tutorial information online for those who want to follow along at home. If you’re interested in accessing this material, check out our GitHub page.