Microbiome Outcast Analysis

The main idea of this podcast was the identification of everyone’s unique microbiome, and how does it change when introduced to new microbes. First, was the fact that every individual has their own microbial ecosystem specific to themselves. Where one lives and what someone eats can define the makeup of these ecosystems on the skin, in the mouth, and in the gut. These items are relevant to the classroom in that we must be aware of this dynamic ecosystem, especially when prescribing antibiotics. Results from the handshake experiment conducted in the podcast showed evidence that there can be subtle changes in the microbiome after a handshake, but that these changes are not permanent. This evidence is can help us understand that trying to change a diseased mouth to a healthy mouth can be difficult due to the nature of difficulty it is to change one’s microbiome. …show more content…
The facts were often brief and mixed in with chatter of the conversation. They relied on interjection from the experts so it was not a thorough explanation and often did not address the “why” and “how” questions in the handshake experiment or the long-term effects. They briefly addressed the potential for long term change of the microbiome and how they figure out if there’s a change in the ecosystem, but the commercials and jumping around in the conversation made it more difficult to follow. I thought they did a good job at relating the context to an average person. They were brief and didn’t totally overbear you; I think it really depends how inquisitive the person listening to the podcast is. For the uninterested listener, it was an adequate mix of detail and generalities. The inquisitive listener would want a more complete explanation of the supporting item like I mentioned earlier, not necessarily deeper