TWiM #73: Eyeing root nodule development
Vincent, Michael, and Michele discuss how soil-dwelling bacteria induce the formation of root nodules on legumes via a protein called CYCLOPS.
Feb 27, 2014•1 hr 20 min
This Week in Microbiology
This Week in Microbiology is a podcast about unseen life on Earth hosted by Vincent Racaniello and friends. Following in the path of his successful shows 'This Week in Virology' (TWiV) and 'This Week in Parasitism' (TWiP), Racaniello and guests produce an informal yet informative conversation about microbes which is accessible to everyone, no matter what their science background.
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Episodes
TWiM #72: The benefits of virulence
Vincent, Elio, Michael, and Michele review how microbial virulence can be increased as a consequence of community surveillance and adaptation to macrophages.
Feb 13, 2014•1 hr 14 min
TWiM #71: Colon cancer’s little shop of horrors
Vincent, Michael, and Michele explain how the gut microbiome modulates colon tumorigenesis, and regulation of intestinal macrophage function by the microbial metabolite butyrate.
Jan 22, 2014•1 hr 19 min
TWiM #70: A paroxysmal cough
Vincent, Elio, Michael, and Michele discuss evidence that the acellular pertussis vaccine fails to prevent infection and transmission in nonhuman primates, and the use of bacterial cytological profiling to identify pathways targeted by antibiotics.
Dec 18, 2013•1 hr 13 min
TWiM #69: Bacterial DNA in the human genome
Vincent, Elio, Jo, and Michele review evidence for bacterial DNA integrated into the human genome, and control of the symbiont population in an insect midgut.
Nov 27, 2013•1 hr 10 min
TWiM #68: The fungus among us
Vincent, Elio, Michael, and Michele discuss the amazingly high level of intergenera gene exchange among haloarchaea in an Antarctic lake, and the diversity of fungi on residential surfaces and the human forehead.
Nov 14, 2013•1 hr 11 min
TWiM #67: Black mushrooms and RNA thermosensors
TWiM discusses two intriguing microbial studies. The first reveals how Neisseria meningitidis utilizes an RNA thermosensor to overexpress immune-evading factors in response to increased host temperature, explaining its transition from commensal to pathogen. The second paper highlights the surprising radioprotective properties of melanin-containing black mushrooms, which significantly protect mice from lethal radiation doses. The hosts also address listener questions on grant funding, auto-brewery syndrome, brain microbiome skepticism, agricultural antibiotic resistance, and the gut microbiome's role in obesity.
Oct 30, 2013•1 hr 16 min
TWiM #66: The shape of a container
Vincent, Elio, Michael, and Michele discuss the curious outer membrane vesicles of Neisseria meningitides, and sources of Clostridium difficile infection revealed by genome sequencing.
Oct 17, 2013•1 hr 9 min
TWiM #65: Leanness is transmissible
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Michelle Swanson . Vincent and Michelle reveal how the human gut microbiota can modulate obesity in mice. Links for this episode: Gut microbiota modulate metabolism (Science) Fighting obesity with bacteria (Science) Letters read on TWiM 065 Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twim@twiv.tv , or call them in to 908-312-0760. You can also post articles that you would like us to discuss at microbeworld.org and tag them with twim....
Oct 03, 2013•51 min
TWiM #64: URI and UTI at ICAAC in Denver
Vincent and Michael recorded this episode at the 53rd ICAAC in Denver, where they spoke with James Gern and James Johnson about rhinoviruses and extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli.
Sep 18, 2013•1 hr 18 min
TWiM #63: Superantigens, S. aureus, and the armpit microbiome
Vincent, Michael, and Michelle discuss how a Staphylococcus aureus superantigen is critical for pathogenesis in a rabbit model, and the relationship of body odor to the axilla microbiome.
Sep 04, 2013•1 hr 26 min
TWiM #62: Breaking bad and protein chain mail
Vincent and Michael discuss how infection with influenza A virus disperses Streptococcus pneumoniae biofilms leading to disease, and an amazing protein chainmail in a viral capsid
Aug 21, 2013•1 hr 20 min
TWiM #61: The irony of probiotics
Vincent, Elio, and Michele review how horizontal gene transfer from bacteria to an insect genome enables a tripartite nested mealybug symbiosis, and how probiotic bacteria work by competing for iron in the intestine.
Aug 07, 2013•1 hr
TWiM #60: Microbial electrochemistry and diversity-generating retroelements
Vincent, Elio, and Michael discuss how an error-prone reverse transcriptase produces enormous diversity in a Legionella protein, and using microbes to convert waste into bioelectricity and chemicals.
Jul 24, 2013•1 hr 11 min
TWiM #59: Are viruses part of our immune system?
Vincent and Michael discuss the finding that bacteriophage might be part of the mucosal antimicrobial defense system.
Jul 10, 2013•1 hr 25 min
TWiM #58: The brain microbiome?
Vincent, Elio and Michael review how underground mycelial networks carry signals that warn neighboring plants of aphid attack, and the presence of bacteria in the human brain.
Jun 20, 2013•1 hr 22 min
TWiM #57: Updating the human gut microbiome to degrade seaweed
Vincent, Elio and Michael discuss fungi that use pheromones to trap nematodes, and how genes obtained from marine bacteria help gut bacteria degrade algal carbohydrates.
Jun 05, 2013•59 min
TWiM #56: Live at ASM in Denver
Vincent, Elio and Michael recorded this episode before an audience at the 2013 General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Denver, Colorado, where they spoke with Andrew, Ferric, Suzanne, and Michelle about their research on a phage system for evading innate immunity, retractions of research papers, bacterial infections of the eye, and cytoplasmic defenses against intracellular bacteria. This episode was filmed live at ASM GM 2013 in Denver, CO. Visit www.microbeworld.org/asmlive...
May 24, 2013•1 hr 42 min
TWiM #55: In the copper room
Vincent, Elio and Michael discuss the finding that copper surfaces reduce microbial burden and hospital-acquired infections in the intensive care unit.
Apr 24, 2013•1 hr 25 min
TWiM #54: Dueling injectors and the microgenderome
Vincent, Elio, and Michael review how sex-dependent differences in the mouse microbiome regulate type I diabetes, and counterattack among bacteria.
Apr 10, 2013•1 hr 13 min
TWiM #53: Live in Manchester
Vincent, Laura, David, Kalin and Paul get together at the Society for General Microbiology meeting in Manchester, England to talk about next-generation approaches to antimicrobial therapy.
Mar 29, 2013•1 hr 1 min
TWiM #52: Clinical microbiology with Ellen Jo Baron
Vincent and Michael meet up with Ellen Jo Baron to talk about working in a clinical microbiology laboratory.
Mar 11, 2013•1 hr
TWiM #51: Cave science with Hazel Barton
Vincent, Michael, and Elio meet up with Hazel Barton to talk about cave microbiology.
Feb 27, 2013•1 hr 19 min
TWiM #50: These things aren’t even bacteria!
Vincent, Michael, and Stanley review the scientific career of Carl Woese.
Jan 30, 2013•1 hr 4 min
TWiM #49: Grape-like Clusters
Vincent, Michael, and Elio discuss the HIV co-receptor CCR5 as a receptor for S. aureus leukotoxin ED, and the vineyard yeast microbiome.
Jan 16, 2013•1 hr 14 min
TWiM #48: It’s all about direction
Vincent, Michael, and Jo discuss how subtle gender bias of science faculty favors male students, and the relationship of invasive infection and antibody orientation at bacterial surfaces.
Jan 03, 2013•1 hr 16 min
TWiM #47: Resistance on the surface
Horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes on metal surfaces, and using bacteriophage to reverse antibiotic resistance.
Dec 19, 2012•1 hr 11 min
TWiM #46: Spore!
Vincent, Michael, and Elio meet up with Jonathan Dworkin to discuss how bacteria form spores and how they return to vegetative growth.
Dec 05, 2012•1 hr 10 min
TWiM #45: Secreted nucleic acids RIG a STING
Vincent, Michael, Elio review innate immune sensing of Listeria secreted bacterial nucleic acids, and how Wolbachia enhances egg production in Drosophila.
Nov 21, 2012•1 hr 12 min
TWiM #44: Phage interruptus
Vincent, Michael, Elio discuss the role of prophage excision in exit of Listeria from the phagosome, and analysis of bacterial communities in saliva.
Oct 24, 2012•1 hr 6 min
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