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E-Musings

Fruit flies: the next generation of bioreactors
March 02, 2023

Fruit flies: the next generation of bioreactors

For the longest time, fruit flies were to me the start of my scientific career. I cut my research teeth on Drosophila melanogaster, as the fruit fly is officially known, as an undergraduate at Grand[...]

My $300/month Health Insurance Plan
January 08, 2019

My $300/month Health Insurance Plan

  In the Western world, we live in a culture obsessed with band-aids. Especially in America, we live in the moment, ignoring warning signs or choosing not to be forward-thinking enough to think[...]

Why Science Can't Afford to Ignore Religion
December 18, 2018

Why Science Can't Afford to Ignore Religion

 My entire career has been a juxtaposition of two entities that should be mutually exclusive - or so I've been told. I have my Bachelor's degree in[...]

Gold Star Microbiome Reporting: A Basic Overview of the Microbiome and Diet and Performance
April 26, 2018

Gold Star Microbiome Reporting: A Basic Overview of the Microbiome and Diet and Performance

A friend of mine recently shared an article entitled "Gut Bacteria: the Latest Trend in Science," posted on trainingpeaks.com. I was dubious. "Another hyped up microbiome article for[...]

Gold Star Microbiome Reporting: Mouthwash, the Microbiome, and Diabetes
February 16, 2018

Gold Star Microbiome Reporting: Mouthwash, the Microbiome, and Diabetes

Photo by Mike Mozart [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons  As a graduate student, I worked on nitrate-reducing oral bacteria and their ability to[...]

Introducing the Gold Star Microbiome Reporting Award
January 08, 2018

Introducing the Gold Star Microbiome Reporting Award

If you are a doer, reader, or reporter of microbiome research, or just an overall microbiome enthusist, chances are you've read a few of Dr. Jonathan Eisen's "Overselling the Microbiome[...]

The Dangers of Sport: My Personal Journey with Long Distance Running and CrossFit
May 09, 2017

The Dangers of Sport: My Personal Journey with Long Distance Running and CrossFit

I've been an athlete for as long as I can remember. As much as I identify as a scientist, I feel even more in my own skin an athlete. When I stopped running track in college, I went through an[...]

The Honor of Speaking with Honor's Students
April 25, 2017

The Honor of Speaking with Honor's Students

A few months ago, I received an email from the principal of my high school in Wayland, Michigan, inviting me to speak at the annual Scholastic Honor's Night. This is a night during which all students[...]

Calling All Students!
March 23, 2017

Calling All Students!

  At the beginning of January, I received an invitation to speak at the annual meeting of the Northern California branch of the American Society for Microbiology (i.e., NCASM 2017). I was really[...]