{"podcast":{"title":"People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers","slug":"people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988","podcast_index_feed_id":170988,"rss_url":"https://peoplebehindthescience.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://peoplebehindthescience.com/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/7/5/1/7/75176757b4abf5df/People-Behind-the-Science-Final-2048-podcast-V2.jpg","author":"Dr. Marie McNeely","episode_count":300,"summary":"Are you searching for great stories to ignite your curiosity, teach you to perform better in life and career, inspire your mind, and make you laugh along the way? In this science podcast, Dr. Marie McNeely introduces you to the brilliant researchers behind the latest scientific discoveries. Join us as they share their greatest failures, most staggering successes, candid career advice, and what drives them forward in life and science. <![CDATA[ Our website with show notes ]] Greetings science fans! We're elated to welcome you to People Behind the Science where we explore the lives and experiences of the people behind the research and scientific discoveries of today. People Behind the Science's mission is to inspire current and future scientists, share the different paths to a successful career in science, educate the general population on what scientists do, and show the human side of science. In each episode, a different scientist will guide us through their journey by sharing their successes, failures, and passions. We are excited to introduce you to these inspiring academic and industry experts from all fields of science to give you a variety of perspectives on the life and path…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-06T14:18:03.468246+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988"},"episode":{"title":"843: Breaking Down the Mysteries of Digestion in Animals With Unusual Diets - Dr. Donovan German","slug":"843-breaking-down-the-mysteries-of-digestion-in-animals-with-unusual-diets-dr-donovan-german","published_at":"2025-12-15T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988/843-breaking-down-the-mysteries-of-digestion-in-animals-with-unusual-diets-dr-donovan-german","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988","url":"https://peoplebehindthescience.libsyn.com/843-breaking-down-the-mysteries-of-digestion-in-animals-with-unusual-diets-dr-donovan-german","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/peoplebehindthescience/843_Donovan_German_Final.mp3?dest-id=193191","summary":"Dr. Donovan German is Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. Donovan aims to better understand how materials move through the gut, which enzymes are secreted during digestion, what microbes are present, and what role these microbes play. In particular, Donovan focuses his research on animals with unusual diets, such as fish that eat wood or algae, to understand how these foods are digested and how animals can survive on these lower quality foods. Beyond his interests in science, Donovan loves sports and music. He played football through college, and he now enjoys coaching his kids' baseball and soccer teams. Donovan played bass in a band during college, and he also plays the guitar and drums. Donovan received his B.A. in Marine Science from the University of San Diego, his M.S. In Biology from California State University in Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Florida. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at UC, Irvine before joining the faculty there in 2011. Donovan's awards and honors include receipt of the UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship, the UCI School of Biological Sciences Dean's Award for Postdoctoral Excellence, and the UCI School of Biological Sciences Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research. In our interview Donovan shares more about his life and science.","meta_description":"Dr. Donovan German is Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2319,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988/episodes/843-breaking-down-the-mysteries-of-digestion-in-animals-with-unusual-diets-dr-donovan-german/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988/843-breaking-down-the-mysteries-of-digestion-in-animals-with-unusual-diets-dr-donovan-german.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}