Life Unculturable

No baby daddy sequencing

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:00:03 +0000

We are back with another exciting interview guest! This time Janet Rogers tells us all about Sanger sequencing, mass spectrometry and what had kept her at Oklahoma State University since 1978. Tune in to learn a bit about the history of the sequencing core facility at OSU, what it is like to work for and managing a core facilty and what reason Janet has to diligently keep working out at the Colvin Center.

If you have any questions for Janet, Sam or Julia, feel free to reach out on LinkedIn, Instagram, BlueSky, or YouTube @LifeUnculturable!

Life Unculturable is the number one podcast on anaerobic microbiology, (un)culturable microbes, and the real life of researchers, brought to you by Drs Sam Miller, Julia Vinzelj, and Michael Prattes!

Road Trippin'

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 19:21:01 +0000

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Julia skedaddles away, exploring New Mexico and Arizona, while Sam stays in good 'ole Oklahoma holding down the fort. If you're looking for the science and the nitty gritty parts of anaerobic microbiology, this is not the episode for you! Today, it's all about road trips and childhood memories with a heaping helping of judgement.

Please excuse the sound quality of this episode! It really was recorded in a coffee shop and hence includes all the clanking and clinking and the occasional bark of coffee shop dog Hope! If you are in Winslow, Arizona, be sure to check out MOJO Coffee Roasting Co.& Cafe (not sponsored; Julia is just a fan).

Enrich or die tryin'

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:00:31 +0000

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia are taking a deep dive into the 'bread and butter' of the lab: enrichment and isolation. Tune in to find out how they go about enriching for and isolating specific anaerobic organisms, how they identify their isolates, and what lab equipment they secretly prefer over others.

Team work makes the dream work

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:31:12 +0000

In the first interview episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia sit down with Drs. Noha Youssef and Mostafa Elshahed, as they chat about microbial ecology, anaerobic fungi, and offer up career advice. Along the way, Sam and Julia learn more about their bosses, determine who is the ‘best’ liar, and try to answer the ultimate question: do PIs ever actually leave the lab?

Tale as old as time: aerobic versus anaerobic

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 17:00:16 +0000

In this episode of Life Unculturable, Sam and Julia are trying to describe what an anaerobe is, where you can find them and what sets them apart from aerobic organisms. And, as always, yapping included! Tune in to find out what they really think about their anaerobic organisms, and which extremophile they admire most.

Gloved up and ready to roll

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 17:00:38 +0000

Roll up your sleeves, put on your gloves, and tune in to the second episode of Life Unculturable! This time, our sample procurement specialist, Sam, will spill his secrets on where and how he collects samples, and we will be doing an olfactory deep dive into our favorite and least favorite samples to work with. So, settle in and come along for the ride. And if you have any questions for us, hit us up on LinkedIn, Instagram, BlueSky, YouTube...!

Buckle Up, Buttercup, 'Cause Here We Come

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 15:00:21 +0000

Welcome to the first episode of Life Unculturable! In this episode, you will meet your hosts, Sam & Julia, and be introduced to this new podcast.

So, pull up a chair, take out the oxygen, and join the discussion.