Primrose Freestone
The dirty truth about what’s in your socks: Bacteria, fungi and whatever lives between your toes
Your feet are microbial hotspots. The area between your toes is packed with sweat glands, and when we wrap our feet in...
How often should you really be washing your bedding? A microbiologist explains
Most of us spend around a third of our lives in bed. Sleep isn’t just downtime, it’s essential for normal brain function...
Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Here’s what a microbiologist says
It’s a question that’s long been the cause of debate: Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Morning...
Why you should never kiss a baby
There is a cognitive bias called ‘the curse of knowledge’ (sometimes also called ‘the curse of expertise’). It happens when you incorrectly...
Toothbrushes and showerheads covered in viruses ‘unlike anything we’ve seen before’
Toothbrushes and showerheads in American homes are teeming with viruses known as bacteriophages (bacteria eaters), a new study has found. Many of...
I’m a microbiologist and here’s what (and where) I never eat
Every year, about 2.4 million people in the UK get food poisoning (it is estimated 4.1 million people in Australia get it)...
The dirty truth about your phone – and why you need to stop scrolling in the bathroom
We carry them everywhere, take them to bed, to the bathroom, and for many people they’re the first thing they see in...
From the bed sheets to the remote – the shocking truth about hotel rooms
For most of us, staying in a hotel room is either something of a necessity – think business travel – or something...