Mark O. Martin
@markowenmartin.bsky.social
Microbial evangelist and podcaster. Husband, father, moderate. Associate Professor at the University of Puget Sound, facing retirement in June of 2026. Looking for what is next that sparks microbial joy.
I have always been an outsider. I was bullied a lot throughout my life, generally by people who thought they were cool or kind or something similar. I understand that kind of reinforced group behavior. Eventually, I embraced the wish that people who thought ill of me have happiness far away from me.
a man in a suit and tie is saying " you stop fighting "
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is saying " you stop fighting "
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:31 PM
I have always been an outsider. I was bullied a lot throughout my life, generally by people who thought they were cool or kind or something similar. I understand that kind of reinforced group behavior. Eventually, I embraced the wish that people who thought ill of me have happiness far away from me.
I did not know that Nesseria sometimes wear puglistic tardigrade fezzes, but I am 100% here for it. Here comes Thursday! @univpugetsound @ASMicrobiology @microbe.tv
November 13, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I did not know that Nesseria sometimes wear puglistic tardigrade fezzes, but I am 100% here for it. Here comes Thursday! @univpugetsound @ASMicrobiology @microbe.tv
Dilution plates are ALWAYS better with bioluminescent bacteria. Looks like the beautiful night sky to me. #microbiology #bioluminescence @univpugetsound @asmicrobiology @MicrobeTV
November 13, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Dilution plates are ALWAYS better with bioluminescent bacteria. Looks like the beautiful night sky to me. #microbiology #bioluminescence @univpugetsound @asmicrobiology @MicrobeTV
When microbiology class lab partners are in synch. @univpugetsound @ASMicrobiology @microbe.tv
November 12, 2025 at 5:55 PM
When microbiology class lab partners are in synch. @univpugetsound @ASMicrobiology @microbe.tv
Wow, but this song was part of my soundtrack back in the day. Not very upbeat, but neither am I, truth be told.
youtu.be/vqML7WbOun8?...
youtu.be/vqML7WbOun8?...
The Smithereens - Blood And Roses
YouTube video by TheSmithereensVEVO
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Wow, but this song was part of my soundtrack back in the day. Not very upbeat, but neither am I, truth be told.
youtu.be/vqML7WbOun8?...
youtu.be/vqML7WbOun8?...
Microbiology jokes FTW! #TWiMAdjacent @microbe.tv
November 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Microbiology jokes FTW! #TWiMAdjacent @microbe.tv
Reposted by Mark O. Martin
Stavros and I picked the name of his Asgard archaeon! Skadiarchaeum cthulhuensis. We thought that if we cannot change the fact that people name microbes after fantasy characters, we should go all in.
November 11, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Stavros and I picked the name of his Asgard archaeon! Skadiarchaeum cthulhuensis. We thought that if we cannot change the fact that people name microbes after fantasy characters, we should go all in.
Dear @katkinsman : your "Tin Swans" podcast is just what I need in these troubling times. It's calming and centering. I have to come to think of you as my goth little sister. Hope to introduce you and your husband to my wife someday.
November 11, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Dear @katkinsman : your "Tin Swans" podcast is just what I need in these troubling times. It's calming and centering. I have to come to think of you as my goth little sister. Hope to introduce you and your husband to my wife someday.
Someone is spying on me.
November 10, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Someone is spying on me.
When I see this crate in front of a colleague’s lab, I am reminded of “The Crate” from Stephen King’s movie “Creepshow.”
November 10, 2025 at 7:19 PM
When I see this crate in front of a colleague’s lab, I am reminded of “The Crate” from Stephen King’s movie “Creepshow.”
Reposted by Mark O. Martin
Part of what keeps me going are the small acts of humanity and kindness that I witness and contribute to. Maybe it's focusing on what I can control to get through the day, but it helps. If I wanted to be extra poetic I'd say I find resistance in the eternal perseverance of humanity and kindness.
November 10, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Part of what keeps me going are the small acts of humanity and kindness that I witness and contribute to. Maybe it's focusing on what I can control to get through the day, but it helps. If I wanted to be extra poetic I'd say I find resistance in the eternal perseverance of humanity and kindness.
I am barely holding myself back from buying this!
November 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I am barely holding myself back from buying this!
I saw this today. As a long term reader of Jung, it hit me hard. My late brother Jack always listened.
November 10, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I saw this today. As a long term reader of Jung, it hit me hard. My late brother Jack always listened.
I’m very fond of this “ghost” from York Ghost Merchants. It was not easy to obtain, but I managed. You know how I feel about things that glow. @yorkghostmerchants
November 10, 2025 at 4:30 PM
I’m very fond of this “ghost” from York Ghost Merchants. It was not easy to obtain, but I managed. You know how I feel about things that glow. @yorkghostmerchants
More and more, I believe that we are *all* being used by groups and people with their own agendas that may or may not agree with our own. All I am left with is to be kind and inclusive and thoughtful locally. Wish I was in a better mood.
a man is crying in the rain while wearing a suit and tie .
ALT: a man is crying in the rain while wearing a suit and tie .
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
More and more, I believe that we are *all* being used by groups and people with their own agendas that may or may not agree with our own. All I am left with is to be kind and inclusive and thoughtful locally. Wish I was in a better mood.
Now comes the challenge: to write to all my former research students and some classroom students, to see if they want to send a photo and a happy memory to me, to make a "retirement book." I also have gifts for my long suffering research students. #IWillMissThemAll #Retirement
November 10, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Now comes the challenge: to write to all my former research students and some classroom students, to see if they want to send a photo and a happy memory to me, to make a "retirement book." I also have gifts for my long suffering research students. #IWillMissThemAll #Retirement
My efforts to help my students avoid just BLAST to examine isolates continues. The goal is to give them something *like* RDP Classifier did as seen here. One of my former #Micronauts who is a bioinformatician is trying to create an app in "Shiny" to do this. Fingers crossed.
November 10, 2025 at 12:59 AM
My efforts to help my students avoid just BLAST to examine isolates continues. The goal is to give them something *like* RDP Classifier did as seen here. One of my former #Micronauts who is a bioinformatician is trying to create an app in "Shiny" to do this. Fingers crossed.
The talented Ray Troll created this poster many years. Me, I want a version about "Microbe Worship"!
November 10, 2025 at 12:51 AM
The talented Ray Troll created this poster many years. Me, I want a version about "Microbe Worship"!
My #Bio350 #Micronauts often find the most unusual things to show me. Here is a swab from the straw of a water bottle. The clear areas are most likely gliders, pushing other microbes away. Phage are unlikely since the background is many of many taxa. #WildMicrobesRule #ObservationIsKey
November 10, 2025 at 12:48 AM
My #Bio350 #Micronauts often find the most unusual things to show me. Here is a swab from the straw of a water bottle. The clear areas are most likely gliders, pushing other microbes away. Phage are unlikely since the background is many of many taxa. #WildMicrobesRule #ObservationIsKey
Really good advice.
November 10, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Really good advice.
Many years ago, I had a friend named Bill Metcalf at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was so bloody smart about bacterial genetics. And he would often remind me that the bacteria did not care about our efforts to study them; they had their own agenda, and it was not ours.
November 10, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Many years ago, I had a friend named Bill Metcalf at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was so bloody smart about bacterial genetics. And he would often remind me that the bacteria did not care about our efforts to study them; they had their own agenda, and it was not ours.
Sometimes I get frustrated I don’t get more attention for my efforts to promote #MicrobialCentrism. But I cannot change people’s minds. So I do the best I can, where I am, with the resources I have available. Anything else is icky ego.
November 9, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Sometimes I get frustrated I don’t get more attention for my efforts to promote #MicrobialCentrism. But I cannot change people’s minds. So I do the best I can, where I am, with the resources I have available. Anything else is icky ego.
An important PSA.
November 9, 2025 at 7:07 PM
An important PSA.
Something strange and wonderful from the artist @hazelowlery .
November 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Something strange and wonderful from the artist @hazelowlery .
Here is a great example of a creative extra credit project from my #Bio350 #Micronauts at @univpugetsound Also very funny and true. @asmicrobiology @MicrobeTV
November 9, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Here is a great example of a creative extra credit project from my #Bio350 #Micronauts at @univpugetsound Also very funny and true. @asmicrobiology @MicrobeTV