Join Tiny Earth’s “Every Step Counts” Photo Contest for World AMR Awareness Week
Tiny Earth is participating in the World Health Organization’s annual World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week November 18-24. This year’s theme for the week is “Educate. Advocate. Act Now.” Tiny Earth and the WHO [...]
Tiny Earth Inspires New Microbe Hunters at Wisconsin Science Festival
On October 15th, the Wisconsin Science Festival’s Discovery Building Expo – Field Trip Day featured Tiny Earth activities for nearly 1,100 elementary and middle school students. Tiny Earth staff and Handelsman Lab researchers introduced [...]
Addressing Health Disparities in Stem Cell Donation
Immunology students seeking potential stem-cell donors. Source: ASM, Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education In January, Dr. Drew Rholl and several of his students published an activity as part of the [...]
Tiny Earth Chemistry Hub Webinar
Wednesday, October 16 at 2:00 PM–3:00 PM ET (1:00 PM-2:00 PM CT) | via Zoom Meeting ID: 91512114331 | Passcode: 332072 For students and instructors! Join the Zoom Add to Calendar (.ics file) Instructors [...]
Dug Up in the News: UMD Research Finds Compost and Manure Reduce Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Urban Soil
New research from the University of Maryland finds that using compost and treated manure to improve urban soils can help reduce harmful antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The study, which examined leafy greens and urban farm soils in [...]
New TEPIs Trained July and August 2024
The Tiny Earth community is thrilled to welcome 43 new TEPIs to the network! Each new TEPI brings expertise from a range of scientific fields including microbiology, chemistry, and genetics to our network. They represent [...]
Tiny Earth’s New Collaborator in India Hosts Event July 5th
On July 5th, Tiny Earth’s new collaborator in India, 6D.Varsity, held The Future Scientists Forum to announce the School of Antibiotic Research and their partnership with Tiny Earth. The event included a diverse group [...]
Spain Microbiology Teachers Welcome Connecticut TEPI
Last May, the Consolidated Group of Teaching Innovation (GCID) in Microbiology of the Universitat de València welcomed Tiny Earth Partner Instructor, Sharon Gusky (Connecticut State Community College), and student researchers at the UV Burjassot [...]
TEPI Lee Hughes Receives 2024 ASM Carski Award
TEPI Dr. Lee Hughes, (University of North Texas, US), was awarded the American Society for Microbiology 2024 Carski Award, which recognizes microbiology educators for exceptional teaching. Dr. Hughes exemplifies outstanding teaching in undergraduate biology [...]
Exploring the Beauty of Microbes: TEPI, Joanna Klein’s Journey With Agar Art
Student creating agar at at University of St. Thomas spring workshop Tiny Earth Partner Instructor (TEPI) Dr. Joanna Klein uses innovative teaching strategies in her Tiny Earth course that engage students with the intricate [...]
Tiny Earth Merchandise Now Available!
Represent Tiny Earth in and out of the classroom! Showcase your love for Tiny Earth with premium short- and long-sleeve tees in your favorite color or a delightful two-toned mug for your morning brew. [...]
Matters Microbial: Using THOR’s Hammer to Investigate Microbial Communities
Tiny Earth founder Dr. Jo Handelsman was recently a guest on TEPI Mark O. Martin’s podcast, Matters Microbial. The episode discusses the research conducted in the Handelsman Lab on interactive microbial communities, using The [...]
Tiny Earth Curriculum Expands to Chemistry
Dr. Kristin Labby (left) and Dr. Katherine Maloney (right) How do we know what chemical compounds are causing the antibiotic activity in the isolates Tiny Earthlings find? What can they do after extracting the [...]
Regenerating Soil and Community with Dr. Jodi Enos Berlage
Tiny Earth Partner Instructor (TEPI) Dr. Jodi Enos-Berlage, a distinguished Biology Professor and researcher at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, dedicates her career to investigating and addressing social and environmental issues in soil science and [...]
Eckerd College Biology Professor Leads Microbiology Class in a World-Changing Lab
Tiny Earthlings at Eckerd College are leveraging their campus’ community garden for antibiotic discovery. Dr. Steve Denison trained to become a Tiny Earth Partner Instructor last summer, and now his students aim to take [...]
Meet Tiny Earth’s New Curriculum Lead, Mariah A. Knowles
This past January, Mariah A. Knowles joined the Tiny Earth team as the new Curriculum Lead, transitioning from her former role as a Facilitator at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery’s Data Science Hub. As [...]
Featured TEPIs: Laura Pickell and Anil Gollapudi stress the importance of experiential learning
Drs. Laura Pickell and Anil Gollapudi of Carleton University are two of only twelve Tiny Earth Partner Instructors (TEPIs) in Canada, and their involvement in the network has grown significantly since they first joined the [...]
Two NWTC students make technical college history by publishing scientific research
Under the mentorship of TEPI Angelo Kolokithas, two Tiny Earth students, Justyna Kakol and Mainor Vang, at the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College published their Tiny Earth research under microPublication Biology, indexed in the National [...]
Publication: Community involvement in addressing the antibiotic crisis
Tiny Earth Partner Instructors (TEPIs) Angelo Kolokithas (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College), Brian Merkel (UW-Green Bay), David Hunnicutt (St. Norbert College), Lucy Fenzl (College of Menominee Nation), and collaborator Matthew Petersen (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College) [...]
TEDx: The Power of the Unseen | Jodi Enos-Berlage
Dr. Jodi Enos-Berlage, TEPI at Luther College, presented a TEDx talk about the soil crisis and related equity issues in agriculture. “The Power of the Unseen” elevates soil as a central life force and highlights [...]
Extremophiles from Mount Saint Helens ice caves inspire a unique approach to antibiotic discovery
Photo from Dr. Anitori's expedition to Mt. St. Helens Every summer, Dr. Roberto Anitori, a Tiny Earth Partner Instructor (TEPI) at Clark College, visits Mt. St. Helens in Washington State to pursue [...]
In-person Summer Symposium a Huge Success
The Tiny Earth Summer Symposium Committee, led by co-chairs Dr. Heather Pelzel (UW-Whitewater) and Dr. Brian Merkel (UW-Green Bay), hosted the annual summer research symposium at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID), University of [...]
Dr. Aarti Raja—25th Annual STUEY’s Professor of the Year
Congratulations to TEPI Dr. Aarti Raja for receiving the 2023 Student Life Achievement Award (STUEY’s) for Professor of the Year! STUEY’s is an annual celebration of Nova Southeastern University’s accomplishments in student-centered academic [...]
Digging for Answers: Microbiology Research Tackles Antibiotic Resistance
Dr. Joanna Klein, a TEPI since 2014 and Tiny Earth Science Committee Chair, brought her Tiny Earth course to the University of St. Thomas this year and has already made an impact on St. [...]
Discovery of Potential: Tiny Earth and Antimicrobials — STEM Scholar Lecture with Dr. Enid González-Orta
Dr. Enid González-Orta, Professor of Biological Sciences, the Director of the Science Educational Equity Program at Sacramento State, TEPI, and Tiny Earth Curriculum & Instruction Committee Chair, presented a STEM Scholar Lecture on instructing [...]
Badger Herald highlights Tiny Earth’s efforts towards inclusive curricula
A University of Wisconsin-Madison independent student newspaper, Badger Herald, highlights the network's strides toward establishing AJEDI (antiracist, just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive) principles and practices in the classroom. The article features TEPI Dr. Enid González-Orta [...]
Featured TEPI: Davida Smyth — 2022 Four-Year College & University Section Biology Teaching Award
The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) recently awarded Dr. Davida Smyth, a Tiny Earth Partner Instructor (TEPI) since 2019 and previously a member of the Tiny Earth Symposium committee, the Four-Year College & [...]
Tiny Earth Celebrates 10 Years
Before Tiny Earth was established as a global network in 2018, the idea of studentsourcing antibiotic discovery emerged from “Microbes to Molecules”—An undergraduate biology course developed and taught by Dr. Jo Handelsman in 2012 [...]
Cerillo’s Stratus plate readers now available in purple!
Looking for a new plate reader for collecting and analyzing sample data in your Tiny Earth classrooms? Cerillo is offering an affordable, compact portable plate reader in a new enchanting purple color! Stratus is [...]
Tiny Earth to develop AJEDI-focused open-access Scientific Teaching Course for college instructors
Tiny Earth Partner Instructors observing plates at an instructor training Tiny Earth will collaborate with Codon Learning and the National Institute on Scientific Teaching (NIST) to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a Scientific [...]
88 Instructors around the globe join Tiny Earth in fighting the antibiotic resistance crisis in 2022
Instructors picking and patching isolates for isolate bioassay at the Johns Hopkins TEPI Training in July. Since the formation of Tiny Earth network in 2017 and its prior development, over 700 instructors in 30 [...]
YVC students gain educational, career benefits during summer research
Students from Yakima Valley College participate in Tiny Earth research with TEPI Matthew Loeser (trained in June 2022 at UW-Madison). Exposure to hands-on research has given students an opportunity to learn new techniques and [...]
TEPI Jennifer Kerr for the Leading Women Under 40 Award
Tiny Earth Partner Instructor (TEPI), Dr. Jennifer (Jenn) Kerr, was selected for the Leading Women Under 40 Award, recognizing her excellent contributions to teaching and research. The award honors women under 40 based on [...]
Achieving STEM diversity: Fix the classrooms
Lead author Dr. Jo Handelsman, with Executive Director Sarah Miller and collaborators, published a new article in Science focused on evidence-based practices and approaches to creating inclusive STEM learning environments. Handelsman et al. cite [...]
Tiny Earth students discover antibiotic-producing bacteria in ocean plastics
Tiny Earth students Andrea Price and Allison Leask investigate microbes in ocean plastics as an alternative source for antibiotic discovery under the guidance of TEPI Ana Barral at National University. Dr. Barral’s adapted Tiny Earth [...]
Tiny Earth Summer Research Course welcomes four students at UW-Madison
The Tiny Earth Summer Research Course (TESRC) was launched in late May at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tiny Earth Partner Instructors (TEPIs) from partnered institutions Baton Rouge Community College, Madison College, and College of [...]
Recent Pursuits of Tiny Earth Partner Instructors
The Tiny Earth Network and its vision, formed in 2012 and established as we know it in 2018 by founder Dr. Jo Handelsman, has been a challenging and rewarding journey. The Vilas Research Professor [...]
A New Look into Tiny Earth: Our Website
Dear Tiny Earth Community, You may notice a few new changes on our website. In the last couple of months, Tiny Earth headquarters has been developing and slowly rolling out new features to help [...]
Tiny Earth Student Group Coming in 2022
Tiny Earth has partnered with over 600 instructors around the world that support 10,000+ students each year! As our network expands, we are looking ways to connect the Tiny Earth community on a deeper, more engaging level beyond scientific research. In the coming year Tiny Earth will launch a Tiny Earth Student Group to connect Tiny Earth Earthlings from all over the world!
An Update from the Tiny Earth Chemistry Hub – 2022
The Chem Hub was established in 2018 and is a main component of the “Science and Discovery” core of Tiny Earth. TECH’s research reaches beyond what can typically be accomplished in a single Tiny Earth course and moves our network closer to discovering the next novel antibiotic.
Tiny Earth 2021 Year in Review
Tiny Earth would like to take a moment to reflect on the trials of 2021 and highlight the great accomplishments achieved within our network.
Introducing the New TEPI Website
Your new one-stop shop for instructor information!
Tiny Earth Chemistry Hub (TECH) Update
February update from the Tiny Earth Chemistry Hub (TECH)
Tiny Earth’s 2020 Success
Tiny Earth leadership, scientists, instructors, and all those in between worked through unprecedented change to cultivate learning and research.
UW-Green Bay Digging for Answers with Microsoft AI
Tiny Earth's global reach and goal of discovering new antibiotics caught the eye of Microsoft. The Seattle-based company provided UW-Green Bay’s Tiny Earth project with an AI for Earth grant that places Microsoft’s cloud and AI tools into the hands of students.
Summit student researchers searching for antibiotic producing bacteria
Three Summit Country Day School students spent a portion of their summer researching antibiotic producing bacteria at the school’s Schiff Family Science Research Institute alongside Tiny Earth Partner Instructor Jessica Replogle, Ph.D.
Massive grant brings upper secondary school students into the fight against antibiotic resistance
Danish upper-secondary school students can now try their hand at scientific research and perhaps even help in a discovery that could have a major impact on millions of people all over the world. A grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation has given Aarhus University the opportunity to let school students join Tiny Earth.
Penn State: Schuylkill students seek to improve public health through antibiotic discovery
More than 30 Schuylkill students participated in Tiny Earth during the Spring 2020 semester.
Tiny Earth to #ShutDownSTEM June 10, 2020
On Wednesday, June 10, Tiny Earth joins an international initiative to call out racism in STEM and academia and take action to eradicate that racism.
TE2020: Registration Open for Virtual Tiny Earth Symposium
The symposium will take place online June 10-12. Instructors and students are encouraged to register now (registration open until June 1).
WisBusiness: WID director warns that bacterial infections may follow COVID-19
Tiny Earth Founder Jo Handelsman warned the Wisconsin Technology Council that bacterial infections following the coronavirus pandemic may be made more deadly by antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Aarhus students part of world-wide hunt for new antibiotics
Aarhus University is the first Danish university to join the Tiny Earth global crowdsourcing initiative which, with the help of teaching staff and thousands of students all over the world, is trying to combat antibiotic resistance.
Waukee APEX Research Students Join the Quest to Discover New Antibiotics from Soil Bacteria
Waukee APEX is joining the push to mitigate one of the most critical public health crises facing the world: antibiotic resistance. Dr. Holly Showalter, Waukee APEX instructor, recently attended the Tiny Earth Partner Instructor Training.
University of Dubuque Professor Joins Initiative to Fight Shortage of New Antibiotics
Adam Kleinschmit, associate professor of biology at the University of Dubuque, recently attended a week-long training to become a partner instructor in the Tiny Earth network. He is joining the push to mitigate one of the most critical public-health crises facing the world — antibiotic resistance.
2019 Tiny Earth Antibiotic Awareness Campaign Winners
The competition is a form of activism to inform others of the global antibiotic crisis. Winners have been announced from the 77 total submissions from students around the world.
‘Studentsourcing’ a solution at State College of Florida Sarasota-Manatee
Carol F. Probstfeld, president of State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, weighs in on the importance and impact of Tiny Earth and instructor Eric Warrick at SCF.
Tiny Earth at Lambeau Field is About Scientific Discovery
From UWGB: Students from across the state of Wisconsin came together on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019 at Lambeau Field to give presentations about their findings regarding antibiotic resistance.
Birds of a Feather Pursue STEM Together
A team from Tiny Earth will study new ways of enhancing mentor networks among partner instructors and their students in a five-year project funded by NIH.
Beloit Daily News: Tiny Earth at Wisconsin Science Festival
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Kristin Labby, along with student volunteers and volunteers with the Upward Bound program, will be offering science-fair style exhibits with hands-on demonstrations titled "Beloit College Featuring Tiny Earth" at the 2019 Wisconsin Science Festival.
Bacteria Battles
UT Dallas microbiologists are on the front lines of an arms race that threatens the entire human race. Tiny Earth is teaching undergraduates the investigative skills that might just lead to the next new antibiotic.
WBAY: Packers provide field soil to ‘Tiny Earth’ UWGB global research project
The Green Bay Packers partnered with UW-Green Bay and Tiny Earth as part of a global research project looking to fight against the rise of drug-resistant diseases.
Fox 11: Packers’ practice field soil helping UWGB students discover life-saving antibiotics
This year, UWGB Tiny Earth students will study a soil sample from Clarke Hinkle Field, one of the two Packers outdoor practice fields.
Packers, Partnership, and Research — UW-Green Bay Hosts ‘Tiny Earth’ Kick-off Event
A representative from the Packers will join faculty and students for a Tiny Earth kick-off at UW-Green Bay’s Stem Innovation Center at 12:45 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, 2019.
Madison College Students Prepare for Transfer, Gain Biotech Skills
Tiny Earth Partner Instructor Kit Carlson is strengthening the pipeline from technical school to research experience to biotech careers for science-interested students.
Tiny Earth Partner Instructor Training Generates New Avenues for Addressing Global Crises
Twenty high school, community college, and university science instructors from 12 US states and five countries convened for the Tiny Earth Partner Instructor (TEPI) training at the University of Connecticut.
2019 Tiny Earth Symposium Recap
The 2019 Tiny Earth Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin, was a great success! Relive the event or get up to speed through photos and tweets from the Tiny Earth community.
State College of Florida Student Wins Award at Tiny Earth Symposium
Herald-Tribune: Magnolia Valdez, a biotechnology major at State College of Florida, earned third place at the 2019 Tiny Earth Annual Poster Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Dayton Magazine: Little Bacteria, Big Lessons
Students at the University of Dayton are looking for the next big discovery in medicine in the soil on campus as part of Tiny Earth.
Meet Tiny Earth Director Sarah Miller
Sarah Miller was named the executive director of Tiny Earth this spring. We sat down with her to learn about her background and the future of Tiny Earth.
Students Get Their Hands Dirty Searching Soil for New Antibiotics
According to details presented at ASM Microbe, in one project, students used the Tiny Earth model to identify potentially new sources of antibiotics in an agricultural environment, focusing on isolating bacteria and testing it for potential activity against pathogens.
ECSU: Bio Department Hosts ‘Tiny Earth Day,’ Welcomes Local High School
The Biology Department at Eastern Connecticut State University hosted a mini-symposium on Earth Day to showcase its ongoing work with the Tiny Earth project.
Inspirational Research
Tiny Earth students from Gaston College were featured in this article from Community College Daily. The students presented their work at the national poster session of the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative.
Tiny Earth initiative to fight shortage of new antibiotics heads to Beloit College
Beloit College is joining the push to mitigate one of the most critical public health crises facing the world: antibiotic resistance.
Tiny Earth: Advancing antibiotic discoveries through undergraduate research
In the course at UW-Madison, students are encouraged to develop their own ideas for finding which variables influence antibiotic production in bacteria.
Microbiology Class to Research Tiny Earth to Discover New Bacteria
Platt Community College students in Jason Ghumm's microbiology class will be viewing the earth from a much different perspective following spring break.
Local Students are Digging Up Dirt to Fight Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Biochemistry students at The Ethel Walker School (Walker’s) are getting their hands dirty as they confront one of the top global health threats — the diminishing supply of effective antibiotics.
NSTA: Involving Students in Antibiotic Discovery
The National Science Teachers Association profiled Tiny Earth in its February 2019 report.
Diné College Joins ‘Tiny Earth’ Antibiotics Initiative
Diné College is joining the push to mitigate one of the most critical public health crisis facing the world: antibiotic resistance.
Kentucky College to Help Fight Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Rachel Pritchard, KWC assistant professor of biology, is leading the Owensboro program along with KWC professor Kevin Horn.
Program Aims to ‘Studentsource’ Antibiotic Discovery
Science teachers from across the country met in Madison, Wisc., for an intensive 5-day training session that aims to engage students in scientific discovery and the hunt for new antibiotics.
Shawano: Local Students Honored for Antibiotics Research
For two College of Menominee Nation students, fall semester 2018 wrapped up with a statewide symposium highlighting Wisconsin’s participation in “Tiny Earth,” an international initiative involving nearly 10,000 students in antibiotics research.
Instructors Join Initiative to Fight Shortage of Antibiotics
The new Tiny Earth instructors are part of the effort to "studentsource" antibiotic discovery.
KWC Students Join International Quest to Discover New Antibiotics from Soil Bacteria
Students at Kentucky Wesleyan College, in partnership with students from more than 200 participating schools across 44 states, Puerto Rico and 14 countries, are joining the crowdsourcing effort established by the University of Wisconsin-based Tiny Earth network to address the worldwide health crisis of antibiotic-resistant infections.
NWTC Students and Their Search For New Antibiotics
Students at NWTC have wrapped up a year-long effort to try to discover new antibiotics. And they're about to present their findings, aimed at solving what the CDC calls a growing crisis.
Event At Lambeau Field Showcases Student Research On New Antibiotics
An event in December, Tiny Earth in Titletown in Green Bay, featured presentations from 110 students who had been working over 14 weeks on solutions to antibiotic resistance by studying soil.
“Tiny Earth” Targets Global Health Crisis
The "Tiny Earth" initiative is intent on discovering solutions to the problem, which is why UW-Green Bay professor Brian Merkel considers his students the best medicine against the threat to global health.
Eastern Students Combat Antibiotic-Resistance Crisis via ‘Tiny Earth’
Through a new opportunity in the Biology Department, Eastern Connecticut State University students are tapping into the Tiny Earth network, an international crowdsourcing effort that engages young scientists in the search for new antibiotic medicines.
The Tiny Earth Manuals are Ready!
The Tiny Earth Research Manual and Protocols are now available for order! More Info or Order Here
Answers in the Earth?
Honors biology students at Mount Saint Mary's University in Los Angeles analyze campus soil as part of international search for new, effective antibiotics.
The Big Dig: Tiny Earth Studentsources Antibiotic Discovery
From On Wisconsin Magazine: UW-Madison students are joining the hunt for new antibiotics in their introductory biology coursework and becoming part of the Tiny Earth network, based at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery.
Students Search for New Antibiotics in Initiative that Brings Real Science to Classrooms
At a recent training event, teachers from Milwaukee Public Schools were joined by a teacher from New York Public Schools, a middle school teacher from Oak Creek, and even a researcher planning to bring the program back to his home university in India.
Tiny Earth Network Builds Student Researchers in Antibiotics
Illinois Wesleyan University is joining with Tiny Earth Network to prepare student researchers to address the modern-day public health crisis of antibiotic resistance.
UWGB: New Push to Change College Immunization Requirements
Students at UWGB are doing their part to help find new antibiotics.
Local Professor, Student Join Initiative to Fight Shortage of New Antibiotics
Jodi Enos-Berlage, Luther professor of biology, recently took part in a week-long training, to enable Luther to join the Tiny Earth network.
Discovering Tiny Earth: a Message from Jo Handelsman
Tiny Earth marks the launch of our new worldwide antibiotic-discovery initiative.
New UW-Based “Tiny Earth” Ramps Up Efforts to Address Antibiotic Crisis and Shortage of Science Graduates
Tiny Earth is the next step in the evolution of a tried and true curriculum founded by WID director Jo Handelsman.
UW to Host Conference Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis
Experts in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will gather in UW-Madison’s Discovery Building for a symposium focused on the impact of AMR across fields including healthcare, sports medicine, animal antibiotic use, and more.