This Week in Microbiology

Vincent Racaniello

4.8 (507)
LIFE SCIENCES
UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

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.

MAR 17

Bacteria Hunt With Grappling Hooks

TWiM explains Pasteur’s relentless hunt for microbes in the air, and how bacteria hunt for prey by ixotrophy - using grappling hooks! Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Pasteur’s hunt for microbes in the air (NYTimes) Bacterial predation by ixotrophy (Science) Enter the pirates (STC) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

54 min
FEB 28

Capturing Shigella With Filopodia

TWiM describes Shigella infection is facilitated by interaction of human enteric α-defensin 5 with a colonic epithelial receptor, and an amino acid change in RNA polymerase that leads to resistance to β-lactams by preventing dysregulation of amino acid and nucleotide metabolism Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode National Black HIV/AIDS awareness day (CDC) Shigella infection and human enteric alpha-defensin 5 (Nature Microbio) RNA polymerase amino acid change and resistance to beta-lactams (Cell Rep) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

47 min
FEB 6

Freezing and Anti-Freezing With Bacteria

TWiM explains the remarkable abilities of bacterial ice nucleating proteins to promote freezing of water, and cryoprotective proteins produced by worm microbiomes that prevent freezing. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Worm microbiomes produce crytoprotective proteins (Sci Adv) Biological antifreeze in Antarctic fishes (Sciece) Enhancement of bacterial ice nucleators (PNAS) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

52 min
JAN 24

I Have One Word For You: PETase!

TWiM explores the discovery of microbial enzymes, PETases, that can degrade ubiquitous plastics, and how exogenous peptidoglycan is a danger signal to trigger biofilm formation. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson. Guest Mark O. Martin. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Discovery of PET depolymerases (Science) Exogenous peptidoglycan triggers biofilm formation (Nat Micro) What is a biofilm? (Vimeo) Peptidoglycan as a PAMP/MAMP (Immunol Rev) Light organ formation triggered by peptidoglycan (Science) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

53 min
JAN 10

Microbes Making Methane

TWiM reveals that record high atmospheric methane growth has been driven by microbes, and the cecum as an adaptive niche for Salmonella typhi. Hosts: Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Why a potent greenhouse gas is rising (WaPo) Microbial emissions drove record high atmospheric methane growth (PNAS) Salmonella biofilm formation in the cecum (mBio) Typhoid Mary (The Collector) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

42 min
12/27/2024

Back To School for TWiM

From ASMCUE 2024, the conference on undergraduate education, TWiM speaks with Becky, Melanie, and Katriana about their careers and how they use TWiM in undergraduate microbiology education. Hosts: Michael Schmidt and Mark O. Martin Guests: Becky Seipel-Thiemann, Melanie Melendrez-Vallard, and Katriana Popichak Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

1h 2m
12/13/2024

Better Concrete With Microbes

TWiM describes how to make concrete more ‘green’ by using microbes, and bacterial bioluminescence as an important regulator of multitrophic interactions in the soil. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and and Mark O. Martin. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Construction nanobiotechnology for concrete (Appl Env Micro) Self-healing concrete (Sci Tot Environ) Microbe-inspired self-healing concrete (Front Struct Civil Eng) Bacterial bioluminescence regulates multitrophic interactions in the soil (Cell Rep) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

1 hr
11/22/2024

Photohydrolysis Decontamination Reduces Healthcare-associated Infections

TWiM explains how ticagrelor alters the membrane of S. aureus and enhances the activity of vancomycin and daptomycin without eliciting cross-resistance, and the development of a novel continuous disinfectant technology that decreases healthcare-associated infections in ICUs by 70%. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Michele Swanson. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Ticagrelor and S. aureus (mBio) Novel disinfectant technology (Am J Inf Control) UVC-LED to inactivate foodborne pathogens (Appl Envir Micro) UV disinfection systems (ACS Photonics) High-touch surfaces in specialized patient care area (CDC) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

58 min

See All (330)

4.8

out of 5

507 Ratings

Amazing. 10/10.

05/13/2022

EvelynDevelyn

I’m a high schooler who hasn’t really had the chance to make any microbiology classes, but this makes me want to go into the field. Comprehensive enough that you don’t have to be a microbiologist or have some fancy degree to understand what they’re talking about, but they don’t dumb it down which is nice. Great podcast!
Avoid

Jan 23

James Tebow

I’ve listened to hours of these guys and ladies. Always the same subject. Same criticism. Billie’s. Big pharmaceutical Paxlovid whores. Avoid if you want accurate insight and information.
Journal club reimagined

01/09/2021

ebkp

I always think that if this had been what journal club was like, it would have been a lot more fun. Just talking through good papers and good science (without picking apart every figure) and having some laughs. Good times!
Great podcast very informative!

10/30/2020

Mark4732783

This is a 10/10 as well as all the podcasts made by the same host, highly recommend.