This episode: A virus partners with a parasitoid wasp to help exploit fruit fly victims! Download Episode (7.7 MB, 11.2 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Actinomadura livida Takeaways Parasitoid wasps have an interesting lifestyle: they inject their eggs into the larvae of other insects, and their young hatch and grow up by consuming the…

This episode: Many organisms produce the smell of earth, geosmin, and many others can sense it–but why? Download Episode (6.0 MB, 8.7 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Acidianus spindle-shaped virus 1 News item Takeaways The smell of soil or earth is one of the most recognizable smells, and comes largely from a chemical called geosmin, p…

This episode: Slime mold amoebas Fonticula alba have interesting and unique foraging and reproductive behaviors! Download Episode (7.3 MB, 10.6 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Cajanus cajan Panzee virus News item Takeaways How did life develop from single-celled organisms acting independently into the complex, multicellular organisms w…

This episode: A probiotic strain of E. coli can target and destroy pathogens that survive a treatment of antibiotics! Download Episode (8.2 MB, 12 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Streptomyces griseoruber Takeaways Antibiotic resistance is becoming more and more of a problem as bacterial pathogens develop resistance to more and more dru…

This episode: Incorporating light-absorbing molecules into bacterial membranes can allow bacteria to use solar energy to transform nitrogen gas into fertilizer! Download Episode (6.5 MB, 9.9 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Wheat dwarf virus Takeaways Turning nitrogen gas into biologically useful compounds, such as protein or ammonia fo…

This episode: A marine protist predator traps prey microbes in an attractive bubble of mucus, eats what it wants, and lets the rest sink, possibly sequestering significant amounts of carbon! Download Episode (7.8 MB, 11.4 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Bat associated cyclovirus 1 News item Takeaways The oceans have a lot of unique, un…

This episode: Certain phages in the gut are linked with increases in performance on some cognitive tests! Download Episode (7.5 MB, 10.9 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Streptomyces bikiniensis News item Takeaways Our gut microbiota includes a large number of viruses, mostly bacteriophages. These fall into two groups, the lytic kind th…

This episode: Adding tags to proteins to increase their degradation can help engineered bacteria grow and survive better under various conditions! Download Episode (7.3 MB, 10.4 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Lactococcus virus sk1 News item Takeaways Engineering bacteria with new genetic pathways allows us to use them in many new and …

This episode: Single-celled bacteria can act independently to create patterns and structure in their biofilm communities! Download Episode (9.6 MB, 14.0 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Dictyostelium discoideum Skipper virus News item Takeaways Large multicellular organisms like us have interesting mechanisms for using one set of geneti…

This episode: Gene transfers between viruses and eukaryotes have happened many times throughout evolutionary history! Download Episode (7.5 MB, 10.9 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Mycoplasma subdolum News item Takeaways As we’ve all seen recently, viruses can cause a lot of trouble. Their biology requires them to be parasites inside t…

This episode: Human-based food used as bait by hunters can reduce bears' gut microbe diversity! Download Episode (5.9 MB, 8.6 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Actinomadura verrucosospora News item Takeaways Gut microbes are important for the health of most animals. In humans, many things can affect our gut microbe community, including d…

This episode: Simple microscopic animals can survive extreme radiation by ejecting damaged cells that might otherwise become cancer! Download Episode (7.3 MB, 9.2 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Helleborus net necrosis virus News item Takeaways Any multicellular organism with different types of cells needs some sort of cell regulation,…

This episode: How family members share gut microbes across multiple generations! Download Episode (7.3 MB, 10.7 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Dyozetapapillomavirus 1 Takeaways Our gut’s microbial communities can greatly influence our health, for good or bad. The makeup of these communities can be influenced by many factors, including…

This episode: Bacteriophages can hitch a ride on bacteria they don't infect to travel through soil on fungal filaments, potentially helping their carriers by infecting and killing their competitors! Download Episode (7.1 MB, 10.3 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Epinotia aporema granulovirus News item Takeaways For tiny bacteria, partia…

This episode: Beetles inoculate bamboo with a fungus that consumes the bamboo sugars to feed the beetle larvae! Download Episode (7.7 MB, 11.2 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Saccharomyces cerevisiae virus L-BC (La) News item Video: Lizard beetle laying its egg Takeaways The structural polymers that make up plants, such as cellulose, c…

This episode: New techniques allow specific modifications in certain members of a complex community of microbes, without isolating them in pure culture first! Download Episode (11.5 MB, 16.7 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Tomato golden mosaic virus News item Takeaways The technology for understanding and manipulating microbial genetic…

Our Heroes learn to say goodbye to the people, places and memories of Halcyon. Sometimes growth only comes with saying goodbye. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

This episode: Predatory bacteria could protect lobster farms from disease-causing bacteria! Download Episode (4.8 MB, 7 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Gordonia rubripertincta Takeaways Antibiotics have done wonders for controlling bacterial pathogens. Many people have lived that would otherwise have died, and some industries have prod…

Our Heroes learn to say goodbye to the people, places and memories of Halcyon. Sometimes growth only comes with saying goodbye. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

This episode: A bacteriophage that overcomes the bacterial CRISPR/Cas immune system by interrupting the CRISPR DNA with its own genome! Download Episode (6.8 MB, 10 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Wenzhou mammarenavirus Takeaways Bacteria have many ways to resist being exploited by bacteriophage viruses, including the adaptable CRISPR/…

This episode: Bacteria can use blobs of disordered proteins to quickly adapt to new conditions! Thanks to Dr. Saumya Saurabh for his contribution! Download Episode (10.9 MB, 15.9 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Drosophila melanogaster Micropia virus Takeaways Bacteria can adapt to environmental fluctuations via mechanisms operating at …

Our Heroes learn to say goodbye to the people, places and memories of Halcyon. Sometimes growth only comes with saying goodbye. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

Our Heroes learn to say goodbye to the people, places and memories of Halcyon. Sometimes growth only comes with saying goodbye. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

Our Heroes learn to say goodbye to the people, places and memories of Halcyon. Sometimes growth only comes with saying goodbye. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

Our Heroes learn to say goodbye to the people, places and memories of Halcyon. Sometimes growth only comes with saying goodbye. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

This episode: A phage both kills bacterial pathogens and selects for reduced virulence! Download Episode (6.3 MB, 9.9 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Helminthosporium victoriae 145S virus News item Takeaways Using bacteria-killing viruses to treat bacterial infections, or phage therapy, can be a good alternative to antibiotics in some …

This episode: Tiny bacteria that live on larger bacteria reduce the inflammation and gum disease the bigger microbes cause in the mouths of mice! Download Episode (6.3 MB, 9.2 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Actinomadura viridilutea Takeaways Even bacteria can be hosts to smaller symbionts living on them. Some kinds of these extremely …

They say when one door closes another opens, which one however, is rarely obvious. Deep within the nexus hotel there are many doors Kati and Null must navigate them to save Chantigold and Linetti from themself. Meanwhile strange things beckon with whispered secrets that promise Kati an answer to the question of her forgotten past and uncertain futu…

The monarch has come to Halcyon. Will her help be enough to stop the Doomed Crew? And if it is what happens when she turns her sights on the prize she claimed to collect? Nazgrim and Golden Glove must come to terms with their present, reflect on their pasts, and hope for their futures. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: ht…

Across town in an inverted high rise Steel spectre confronts his past and decides his future. Halcyon changes all who walk it's streets and Steel spectre has seen firsthand how dangerous those streets can be. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast D…

The forces assailing Halcyon are too pressing to ignore and our heroes rush to save the city, even if it means pulling themselves apart. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

This episode: A virus lurking in a bacterial genome protects its host population from infection with other phages, by killing off infected cells! Download Episode (7.6 MB, 11.0 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Olive latent ringspot virus Takeaways Many bacteriophages just go in and gobble up all their host's resources to make a bunch of…

With Halcyon warped by time and space, Drakonid technology in the hands of Crowdsource, and and old enemy of the Xantoid joining the fight the Youngbloods are left scrambling to pick up the pieces before its too late. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_…

This episode: Harmless gut microbes resist cholera with good defense or better offense! Download Episode (5.8 MB, 8.4 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Streptomyces corchorusii News item Takeaways The community of microbes in our guts is highly diverse, yet generally they all coexist relatively peacefully. Some pathogens can invade this …

The repercussions of our actions ripple throughout Halcyon City, and what comes next may do the same for the rest of the galaxy. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

Our heroes have to face that this might be too much for them to do. Everything is getting worse around them and at this point cutting their losses might be the only option left. Please let nothing else happen... Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcas…

These questions float around in my head constantly: Am I useful? Am I the same as my parents? How can I stand back up?... but the loudest is WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

Someone from the fellowship betrays the group, leading us ever deeper into darkness. The Youngbloods must hurry if they want to save Linetti. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

This episode: Prions in yeast can allow better adaptation to changing conditions! Download Episode (9.5 MB, 13.9 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Hepatovirus F News item Takeaways Prions can be deadly. They're misshapen proteins that cause a cascade of misfolding of similar proteins if they get into the nervous system, resulting in neur…

This episode: Bacteria are able to extract metals from rocks for industrial use, even in microgravity! Download Episode (6.2 MB, 9.0 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Decapod ambidensovirus 1 News item Takeaways As humanity makes progress toward becoming an interplanetary species, consideration is needed on how travelers can survive and …

This episode: Bacteria living inside soil fungus produce toxins that can protect their host from tiny predators! Download Episode (7.7 MB, 11.2 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Mycobacterium virus DLane Takeaways Soils have many different organisms cooperating and competing for resources. Some little worms called nematodes prey on fungi…

This episode: Certain nectar-dwelling bacteria can induce pollen to germinate to access their tasty proteins! Download Episode (6.0 MB, 8.8 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Clostridium oceanicum News item Takeaways Nectar in flowers seems like it would be a great place for microbes to live, since it has so much sugar, but it's actually …

Automator, Kid kati, Redline and Hellion all face their own demons. The problem is, Davos has some unfinished business with Hellion Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F3Hd…

As a battle rages in the lobby of guardian pharmaceuticals the rest of the team makes their move. A deadly foe returns and Null and Automator put phase 2 into action. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://twitter.com/noar_podcast Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/VS7F…

Null has resurfaced to lead the young bloods and their allies in a daring heist of Guardian Pharmaceutical headquarters. loyalties are called into question and tensions rise while Everbright tries to hold Chantigold at bay long enough for the team to get what they need. while they succeed in time or will the lair of the Doomed Crew prove their down…

This episode: Bacteria produce a compound that causes a phage lurking in the genome of a competing species to wake up and start killing that competitor! Download Episode (8.2 MB, 12.0 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Zaire ebolavirus News item Takeaways Some bacteriophages infect and immediately destroy their hosts in a burst of new vir…

Within the Nexus hotel a battle rages between Chantigold, Kid Kati, and Nazgrim, can Steel Specter and The Golden Glove arrive in time to help them? Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Kid Kati Designs: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KidKatiDesigns?ref=seller-platform-mcnav Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nerdsonaroll Twitter: https://t…

This episode: A eukaryote has symbionts living in it: green algae and also purple bacteria, a combo never seen before! Download Episode (6.1 MB, 8.8 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Staphylococcus virus phiETA News item Takeaways Having bacteria as endosymbionts is fairly common in life on Earth: almost all eukaryotes have them in the f…

This episode: Training a phage strain on bacteria can increase its ability to control those bacteria for much longer than an untrained phage! Download Episode (5.7 MB, 8.3 minutes) Show notes: Microbe of the episode: Pepper yellow leaf curl Indonesia virus News item Takeaways With resistance to antibiotics spreading more and more among deadly bacte…

As Nazgrim continues to fight Chantigold across the multiverse Golden Glove must rush too save Steel Spectre from his father's actions. Kid Kati and Hellion flee Coldstar in an attempt to aid at the nexus hotel before its too late. Where to find Loren's Games: https://dmlsp.itch.io/ Kid Kati Designs: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KidKatiDesigns?ref=sel…