Coloring the Microbial World: Drs. Sarah Wettstadt and Noémie Matthey

Coloring books aren’t just for kids anymore. In fact, one unique coloring book is bringing the fascinating world of bacteria to life for all ages. In this Joyful Microbe podcast episode, we’re exploring “Coloured Bacteria from A to Z” with the scientists behind this delightful educational resource.

Whether you’re a parent looking to spark your child’s interest in science, a teacher searching for engaging hands-on learning materials, or an adult who enjoys the calming act of coloring, this microbiology coloring book offers something for everyone. By combining scientific accuracy with artistic creativity, the authors have created a one-of-a-kind tool for exploring the microbial realm.

Too often, bacteria are portrayed in a negative light, associated only with illness and disease. This limited perspective can make it difficult to appreciate the incredible diversity and beneficial roles bacteria play in our world.

But the authors of “Coloured Bacteria from A to Z,” Drs. Sarah Wettstadt and Noémie Matthey are on a mission to change that. Through their coloring book, they aim to foster curiosity, dispel common misconceptions, and showcase the “superpowers” of these microscopic marvels through a balanced perspective.

Topics covered in this episode:

• How two scientists with microbiology backgrounds came together to create the “Coloured Bacteria from A to Z” coloring book
• The unique format of the book, featuring one bacterium for each letter of the alphabet
• The authors’ strategies for balancing scientific accuracy with artistic representation in the illustrations
• Challenges the authors faced in selecting which bacteria to feature and how to convey key concepts in a simple, engaging way
• Ways teachers, parents, and curious learners of all ages can use the coloring book to explore the microbial world
• Insights into common misconceptions about bacteria that the authors hope to address through this educational resource

Let’s dive into the colorful, joyful world of bacteria! After listening to this episode, you’ll be ready to show off your microbiology artistic skills.

Listen to my episode with Drs. Sarah Wettstadt and Noémie Matthey

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Links & Resources

This post contains affiliate links — see my disclosure policy.

• See a sneak peek at the coloring book (scroll almost to the bottom)
• Get the coloring book: Coloured Bacteria from A to Z
• Listen to a previous podcast interview with Dr. Sarah Wettstadt
• BacterialWorld RedBubble shop (get a coffee mug with the letter for your name!)

Connect with Dr. Sarah Wettstadt

Dr. Sarah Wettstadt is a microbiologist-turned science writer and communicator writing for professional associations, life science organisations and researchers from the biological sciences. She runs the blog BacterialWorld to share the diverse and colourful activities of microbes and bacteria, based on which she co-published the colouring book “Coloured Bacteria from A to Z“. As science communication manager for the Scientific Panel on Responsible Plant Nutrition and blog post commissioner for the FEMSmicroBlog, Sarah writes about microbiology and environmental topics for various audiences. To help scientists improve their science communication skills, she co-founded SciComm Society, through which she offers guides, webinars and 1-on-1 coaching. Previous to her science communication career, Sarah did a PhD at Imperial College London, UK, and a postdoc at the CSIC in Granada, Spain. In her non-scicomm time, she enjoys the sunny beaches in Spain playing beach volleyball or travels the world.

Connect with Dr. Sarah Wettstadt: Website, Twitter

Connect with Dr. Noémie Matthey

Dr. Noémie Matthey is a Swiss scientist and science artist. She did her PhD in Prof. Melanie Blokesch’s lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, working on natural competence in Vibrio species. She is now a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Justine Collier’s group, studying DNA methylation in the Caulobacter crescentus bacterium.

In her spare time, Noémie is a science illustrator and she enjoys creating sci-art drawings to better communicate scientific concepts to lay audiences. Her artwork focus mainly on microbiology and she particularly likes to design anthropomorphized bacteria and viruses with funny eyes. She is the illustrator behind the Bacterial World blog and together with its science communicator: Sarah Wettstadt, they published in 2023 an educational colouring book about bacteria and their super-powers. Noémie has also created several logos for lab, conference or company and her digital art has been featured in books, publication and on the covers of journals such as Journal of Bacteriology and Trends in Microbiology.

Connect with Dr. Noémie Matthey: Website, Twitter, Instagram