This Week in Microbiology
This Week in Microbiology is a podcast about unseen life on Earth.
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310: Starvation vs Dehydration: Who Loses, Who Wins?
05/12/2024
310: Starvation vs Dehydration: Who Loses, Who Wins?
TWiM explores the plasticity of the adult human small intestinal stoma microbiota, and survival and rapid resuscitation that permit limited productivity in desert microbial communities. Hosts: , , and . Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , or by Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode Plasticity of small intestinal (Cell Host Micr) (Nat Comm) How (Science Daily) (WikiCommons) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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309: Stomach Acid Can Be Your Friend
04/26/2024
309: Stomach Acid Can Be Your Friend
Today on TWiM, a charcuterie invasion, and how that acid in your stomach may protect from the invading hordes of microbes. Hosts: , and . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode Commentary: Peeling the onion: Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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308: Living in a Community World
04/13/2024
308: Living in a Community World
TWiM reviews a case of E. faecium bacteremia treated with combination bacteriophage and antibiotic therapy, and how dopamine receptor D2 confers colonization resistance via microbial metabolites. Hosts: , , and . Guest: Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode Distinct (Nature) Bacterial (Nature) A (Nature) Spatial perspective on (Nature) (Yale Med) promotes its survival (mBio) (mBio) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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307: Attaching and Effacing on a Pedestal
03/30/2024
307: Attaching and Effacing on a Pedestal
TWiM reviews a case of E. faecium bacteremia treated with combination bacteriophage and antibiotic therapy, and how dopamine receptor D2 confers colonization resistance via microbial metabolites. Hosts: , , and . Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , or by Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode for E. faecium bacteremia (mBio) Dopamine receptor (Nature) CDC’s Reports of Brett Finlay’s narrated Colonization resistance by (ACS Chem Biol) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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306: Spirulina Smoothies
03/15/2024
306: Spirulina Smoothies
TWiM discusses the identification of natural products from reconstructed ancient bacterial genomes, and how plant mRNAs move into a fungal pathogen via extracellular vesicles to reduce infection. Hosts: , , and . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode Natural (Science) (Cell Host Microb) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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305: The Marvel of MAC
03/02/2024
305: The Marvel of MAC
TWiM reviews the ongoing cholera outbreak in Africa, and research showing that gut complement induced by the microbiota blocks pathogens and spares commensal bacteria. Hosts: , , and . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (Africa CDC) Deadly (NY Times) in sub-Saharan Africa (Curr Op Ped) spares commensals (Cell) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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304: A New blue cheese-making fungus
02/17/2024
304: A New blue cheese-making fungus
TWiM reveals a new population in the blue cheese-making fungus Penicillium roqueforti and identification of a quorum-sensing autoinducer and siderophore in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , or by Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode New (Evol Appl) (Guardian) (CNRS News) (YouTube) (ASM) (mBio) (Curr Biol) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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303: Can Our Microbiome Break Our Hearts?
02/03/2024
303: Can Our Microbiome Break Our Hearts?
TWiM reveals a database of genome sequences of thousands of Mycobaterium tuberculosis, allowing association with resistance phenotypes to 13 antibiotics, and microbe-derived uremic solutes that enhance thrombosis potential in the host. Hosts: , , and . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (PLoS Biol) The (mBio) (mBio) (EJIFCC) (Mayo Clinic) (Zoology) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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302: Itching and Scratching and New Antibiotics
01/20/2024
302: Itching and Scratching and New Antibiotics
TWiM describes the mechanism for the S. aureus itch and scratch induced skin damage, and discovery of a novel class of antibiotics that targets the lipopolysaccharide transporter. Become a of TWiM. Links: S. aureus drives behavior (Cell) Staph (Cell) A of antibiotics (Nature) A of antibiotic (Nature) Novel antibiotic targets (Nature) New antibiotic (Nature) Macrocyclic (Science) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
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301: Another Year is Microbial
01/03/2024
301: Another Year is Microbial
A highly reduced TWiM team presents a study of the use of phage diversity in cell-free DNA to identify bacterial pathogens in human sepsis cases, and the evolution, persistence, and host adaptation of a gonococcal antimicrobial resistance plasmid that emerged in the pre-antibiotic era. Hosts: and Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (Nat Micro) (PLoS Genetics) Take the Music used on TWiM is by . Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
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300: Marvels of Microbiology
12/16/2023
300: Marvels of Microbiology
On the occasion of TWiM’s 300th episode, we discuss how two college students found a new antibiotic in soil, Barbara Iglewski’s passing, and Elio returns for an appearance. Hosts: , , and . Guest: Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (MicroPubl Biol) 2 NWTC students found a (Green Bay Press Gazette) bacteria group (Clover) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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299: Teaching with TWiM
12/02/2023
299: Teaching with TWiM
From ASM’s Conference for Undergraduate Educators 2023 in Phoenix, TWiM speaks with Amaya Garcia Costas and Gwendolyn Knapp about their approaches to undergraduate microbiology education, and how they use TWiM as part of their curricula. Hosts: , , and . Guest: and . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode 2023 (J Microbiol Biol Edu) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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298: Impact of Lung Microbiome and Racial Disparities on Asthma
11/16/2023
298: Impact of Lung Microbiome and Racial Disparities on Asthma
TWiM provides thoughts on providing better training for a non-academic career, and help celebrate Black in Microbiology Week with a 2023 paper by Ari Kozik, a co-founder of and Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan Hosts: , , , , Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode Better t (Nat Micro) Prosper - in obesity and asthma (J Allerg Clin Immunol) (mSphere) (ASM) (ASM) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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297: Bacterial-electronic Sensor Pill
11/04/2023
297: Bacterial-electronic Sensor Pill
TWiM reviews how a coating of lipoproteins provides a stabilizing environment on the inner membrane of Bacillus subtilis spores, and a miniaturized device that integrates genetically engineered probiotic biosensors with a custom-designed photodetector and readout chip to track mediators of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract Hosts: , , and , Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , or by Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (J Bacteriol) (J Bacteriol) Biosensor to (Nature) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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296: Bacterial Channels in Plant Cells
10/07/2023
296: Bacterial Channels in Plant Cells
TWiM discusses a dispute about whether the mycobiome plays a role in the development of cancer, and the structure and function of channels that are delivered to plant cells by pathogenic bacteria. Hosts: , and . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (Carl Zimmer) (Nature) and cancer (Nature) (Nature) (YouTube) (Curr Protein Pept Sci) (Cold Spring Harb Protocols) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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295: Uncultured and Unmutable
09/22/2023
295: Uncultured and Unmutable
TWiM explains how phages avoid tRNA-targeting host defenses, and discovery of a new antibiotic from an uncultured bacterium that binds to an immutable target. Hosts: , , and , Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode host defenses (eLife) New antibiotic from (bioRxiv) (For Policy) (Nature) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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294: You’ll Scream After Ice Cream
09/08/2023
294: You’ll Scream After Ice Cream
TWiM reveals that the ice cream manufacturing environment harbors psychrotrophic bacteria, and identification of a deadly bacterial strain causing widespread deaths of newborns in Uganda. Hosts: , , & . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (Appl Environ Micro) Creamery pays fine for (US DOJ) (The Lancet) (Yale SOM) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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293: Aerosol phage therapy, alpha-gal aptamers for MRSA
08/23/2023
293: Aerosol phage therapy, alpha-gal aptamers for MRSA
TWiM explains personalized aerosilized phage therapy for a chronic lung infection, and using the combination of antibiotic and a DNA molecule that binds alpha-gal to reduce S. aureus infection in vivo. Hosts: and Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , , or by Become a ! Links for this episode: Aerosolized (Nat Comm) Alpha-gal for MRSA (Microorg) syndrome (Front Allergy) protects against viral infection (virology blog) for improving oral health (Healthcare) Music used on TWiM is by . Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
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292: Breast Milk Bioactives
08/11/2023
292: Breast Milk Bioactives
TWiM reveals that breast milk bioactives are essential for development of the infant microbiome and immunity, and how capsule mutants of Klebsiella pneumoniae can affect bacterial pathogenesis. Hosts: , , , , Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode in early life (Science) (Front Ped) (Ann NY Acad Sci) (Nature) Probiotics and (Mol Micro) (Mol Micro) (Lancet) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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291: Biogeography of Tectonics and Teeth
07/29/2023
291: Biogeography of Tectonics and Teeth
TWiM explains how photoferrotrophic bacteria initiated plate tectonics over 2500 million years ago, and how two bacteria work together to cause childhood tooth decay. Hosts: , , , , Guest: Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , or by Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (Geophys Res Lett) (Sci Am) (Nature) (Nova) (ASM) (EarthSphere) (Nat Comm) (Fut. Micro.) (Microbiol. Open) Music used on TWiM is by Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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290: Houston, We Have Mimi Goldschmidt
07/14/2023
290: Houston, We Have Mimi Goldschmidt
From ASM Microbe 2023 in Houston, TWiM speaks with Mimi Goldschmidt about her remarkable career in microbiology which included training astronauts to safely bring moon rocks back to Earth. Hosts: , , . Guest: Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (Wikipedia) (YouTube) Music used on TWiM is by Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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289: Viral Defense and Counter-Defense
06/30/2023
289: Viral Defense and Counter-Defense
TWiM highlights viral defense and counter-defense: cGAS mediated ubiquitination to counter infection, and viral sponges that sequester nucleotide signals to inactivate immunity. Hosts: , , , . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (Nature) Jumpin’ Jack Flash () (Trends Micro) (Curr Opin Struct Biol) Music used on TWiM is by Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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288: Cancer and E. coli
06/09/2023
288: Cancer and E. coli
TWiM describes a potential connection between a bacterial protein that damages DNA, and human cancers, and how to synthesize antimicrobial natural products from reconstructed bacterial genomes of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. Hosts: , , , and Become a of TWiM Links for this episode (Nature) (Science) of antimicrobial lipopeptides (Front Chem) (Mother Jones) 25-40 (Science) from salt crystal (Nature) 1918 influenza with Jeffery Taubenberger () Music used on TWiM is by Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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287: When Replicas Do Not Replicate
05/20/2023
287: When Replicas Do Not Replicate
TWiM investigates the high variability in the rate and amount of current production from microbial fuel cells, and how bacteria link their growth rate to external nutrient conditions via a protein that functions as a cellular rheostat. Hosts: , , and Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , or by Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode Variability in (Appl Environ Micro) (Chemosphere) Microbial | (Joule) (Nat Micro) (Front Micro) y! Music used on TWiM is by . Send your microbiology questions and comments to
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286: Integrons and Invasion
05/05/2023
286: Integrons and Invasion
TWiM reveals environmental integrons, bacterial genetic elements notorious for their role in spreading antibiotic resistance, and how Salmonella invasion is controlled by competition among intestinal chemical signals. Hosts: , , and . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode Environmental (Trends Micro) (Nat Rev Micro) (Fems Micro Music used on TWiM is by . Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
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285: How Plague Got Deadly
04/23/2023
285: How Plague Got Deadly
TWiM reveals a new type of satellite virus that requires only phage tails for producing infectious virus particles, and that highly virulent plague bacteria differs from its innocuous enteric predecessor by its resistance to lysis by human complement. Hosts: and . Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , or by Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode Viruses that (Cell Host Microbe) (Appl Environ Micro) How (Appl Environ Micro) (TedEd) y! Send your microbiology questions and comments to Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by and used with permission.
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284: Flies, Pigs, and Squid
04/08/2023
284: Flies, Pigs, and Squid
TWiM reveals housefly dispersal of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, and a reproductive organ in squid linked to symbiotic bacteria. Become a of TWiM Links for this episode (Appl Micro Int) (Nature) (PLoS Glob Pub Health) (mBio) y! Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
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283: Quorum Sensing In The Gut
03/24/2023
283: Quorum Sensing In The Gut
TWiM reveals quorum-sensing systems that regulate intestinal inflammation and permeability caused by P. aeruginosa, and how plasmids manipulate bacterial behavior through translational regulatory crosstalk. Hosts: , , , . Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (mBio) (Antimicrob Agents Chemother) (PLoS Biol) (J Bact) y! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by and used with permission.
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282: At-home evolution with yeast
03/10/2023
282: At-home evolution with yeast
TWiM presents a protocol for evolving caffeine-tolerant yeast by high school students in the home, and how predator-prey dynamics change when multiple bacteria grow together in biofilms. Hosts: , , , . Guest: Subscribe to TWiM (free) on , , , , or by Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode (microPub Biology) (NAS) (JMBE) (BMC) (PNAS) : From curiosity to curative (Trends Micro) (YouTube) (YouTube) (YouTube) y! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to
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281: Microbes Making Jet Fuel
02/17/2023
281: Microbes Making Jet Fuel
TWiM explains the synthesis in bacteria of new energy-dense biofuels that can replace rocket and jet fuels, and the use of nanopore sequencing to improve diagnosis and treatment of patients with serious infections. Become a of TWiM. Links for this episode: Biosynthesis of (Joule) in bacteria (PNAS) for diagnosis of serious infections (mBio) video (YouTube) Kodamaea ohmeri (Front. Micro) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
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