Microbial ghost towns: Life after death in the Necrobiome

<p>Welcome to our Halloween special! </p><p>Once your heart stops, what happens to all of the microbes that call your body home? </p><p>Tonight, we explore the silent cities left behind when we die. Scientists call this the <strong>necrobiome</strong>: the community of microbes that thrive on and around decomposing bodies.</p><p>In this episode we explore how microbes take over our bodies after death, the impact that decomposing bodies can have on the environment around them, and take a look at how microbial activity can even help forensic scientists estimate time of death.</p><p>Let&#39;s dive into this spooky topic together! </p><p><br></p><p><strong>More Reading &amp; Sources:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecm.1331" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Necrobiome framework for bridging decomposition ecology of autotrophically and heterotrophically derived organic matter</a>, Benbow et al. 2018</li><li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-023-01580-y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">A conserved interdomain microbial network underpins cadaver decomposition despite environmental variables</a>, Burcham et al. 2024</li><li><a href="https://ecologicalprocesses.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13717-023-00451-y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Microbial community coalescence and nitrogen cycling in simulated mortality decomposition hotspots</a>, Keenen et al. 2023</li></ul><ul><li>BBC:<a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210817-rewilding-death-germanys-plan-to-restore-the-necrobiome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"> <em>Rewilding death: The plan to restore the necrobiome</em></a></li></ul>