The Molecular Ecologist Podcast: #StudentSciComm, diversity within an algae bloom, the origins of a vital mutualism, and population genetics in continuous space

A new episode of The Molecular Ecologist Podcast is now out on Anchor.fm.

The Molecular Ecologist Podcast made it to a second episode! Thanks for listening to our first one, and for all the positive comments. In addition to our “home” hosting service, Anchor.fm, you can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple PodcastsPocket Casts, and Spotify — or you can add the RSS feed URL directly to your podcast-management app of choice. Whatever service you use, consider taking a moment to rate or even review the podcast, which will help us build an audience.

You can also listen right here on the blog, with the widget below:

Here’s what you’ll find in this episode:

  • Stacy Krueger-Hadfield and Sabrina Heiser talk about Stacy’s #StudentSciComm initiative, using science blogging as an assignment in graduate-level professional development and science courses.
  • Kelle Freel describes the results of a community genetics survey of diversity within an algae bloom that travels the North Atlantic every year, by Bolaños et al. (doi: 10.1038/s41396-020-0636-0)
  • R. Shawn Abrams previews an upcoming post about new research supporting the hypothesis that symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria had a single origin in the common ancestor of the clade that includes legumes, roses, and oaks.
  • Jeremy Yoder recaps a new simulation study that shows how populations distributed continuously across space (which is to say, most natural populations) confound and complicate population genetic analyses, by Battey et al. (doi: 10.1534/genetics.120.303143)

And, while we’re at it, here’s a selection of Zoom backgrounds used by TME contributors while we’re teaching and researching over video chat:

The music in this episode is Leroy Anderson’s “The Syncopated Clock,” performed on piano by Markus Staab and available under a Creative Commons license via Musopen.

About Jeremy Yoder

Jeremy B. Yoder is an Associate Professor of Biology at California State University Northridge, studying the evolution and coevolution of interacting species, especially mutualists. He is a collaborator with the Joshua Tree Genome Project and the Queer in STEM study of LGBTQ experiences in scientific careers. He has written for the website of Scientific American, the LA Review of Books, the Chronicle of Higher Education, The Awl, and Slate.
This entry was posted in association genetics, community, community ecology, housekeeping, microbiology, population genetics, Science Communication, TME Podcast and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.