Meet The Microbiologist - The Scientists Behind The Microbiology

Tara C. Smith discusses her work uncovering ties between agriculture and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Her studies have found MRSA on and around pig farms, on animal handlers, and even in packaged meat in the grocery store. She also talks about using zombies as an allegory for infectious disease outbreak preparedness. Links for this episode Tara C. Smith website Aetiology Blog on Science Blogs Network Outbreak News Interview with Smith on her work communicating the science around vaccines and fighting anti-vaccine sentiments. Smith’s collected writings on Ebola and emerging infectious diseases Zombie Infections: Epidemiology, Treatment, and Prevention in the British Medical Journal History of Microbiology tidbit: Thomas Jukes’ 1968 Letter to the British Medical Journal and 1997 Recollections in Protein Science. Julie’s biggest takeaways: MRSA transitioned from primarily hospital-acquired to community-acquired infections in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, MRSA strains associated with liv