
Early Microbial Life with Michael Lynch and Vaughn Cooper
From Meet the Microbiologist by Ashley Hagen, M.S.
August 22, 2025 · 40 min · Episode 167
About this episode
Michael Lynch and Vaughn Cooper discuss the origins and trajectory of early microbial life and the collaborative report exploring the journey of life on Earth.
Michael Lynch, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Mechanisms of Evolution at Arizona State University and Vaughn Cooper, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, examine the origins and trajectory of early microbial life (EML) and discuss the collaborative report between the American Academy of Microbiology and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which explores the journey of life on Earth, from non-living chemical compounds to early unicellular life, to the vast diversity of organisms we see today. This episode is brought to you by the American Academy of Microbiology, a think tank at American Society for Microbiology and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which has been dedicated to advancing scientific discovery for the past 25 years. Links for This Episode: Project Report Early Microbial Life: Our Past, Present and Future . Article: The Great Oxidation Event: How Cyanobacteria Changed Life . MTM Podcast: From Hydrothermal Vents to Cold Seeps: How Bacteria Sustain Ocean Life With Nicole Dubilier . Take the MTM listener survey!
People in this episode
Guests: Michael Lynch, Vaughn Cooper
Topics covered
- early microbial life
- origins of life
- evolution
- microbiology
Keywords
- American Academy of Microbiology
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
- unicellular life
- diversity of organisms
Sponsors
American Academy of Microbiology, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Early Microbial Life: Our Past, Present and Future, The Great Oxidation Event: How Cyanobacteria Changed Life
Books & works: Project Report Early Microbial Life: Our Past, Present and Future, The Great Oxidation Event: How Cyanobacteria Changed Life, From Hydrothermal Vents to Cold Seeps: How Bacteria Sustain Ocean Life
Places: Earth
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