This Week in Microbiology (TWiM). 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.
As a science Professor at Columbia University, Racaniello has spent his academic career directing a research laboratory focused on viruses. His enthusiasm for teaching inspired him to reach beyond the classroom using new media. TWiM is for everyone who wants to learn about the science of microbiology in a casual way.
While there are no exams or pop quizzes, TWiM does encourage interaction with the audience via comments on specific episodes, email and Skype. Listeners can also use www.MicrobeWorld.org to suggest topics for the show by submitting articles, papers, video and images to the site and tagging them with "TWiM". Each week Racaniello will view the tagged content and select items for discussion.
For questions and/or feedback please email ccondayan@asmusa.org.
The TWiM team explains the use of microbial genome mining to identify new drugs, and how a bacterial symbiont protects flies against parasitoid wasps.
Hosts:
Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Elio Schaechter.
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.
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Links for this episode
Molecular beacons identify gifted microbes (J Antibiot)
Defensive symbiosis (PLoS Path)
Letters read on TWiM 156
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
Michele updates the TWiMers on Legionella in the Flint water supply, and Elio informs us about how horizontally acquired biosynthesis genes boost the physiology of Coxiella burnetii.
Hosts:
Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Elio Schaechter.
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode
Legionella in Flint water (The Scientist)
Q fever with Robert Heinzen (TWiM Special)
Horizontally acquired genes boost C. burnetii (Front Cell Inf Micro)
Image credit
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
At Microbe 2017 in New Orleans, the TWiM team speaks with Arturo Casadevall about his thoughts on the pathogenic potential of a microbe, rigorous science, funding by lottery, and moonshot science.
Hosts:
Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Elio Schaechter.
Watch the video version recorded live at ASM Microbe 2017!
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode
Pathogenic potential of a microbe (mSphere)
Rigorous science (mBio)
Funding by lottery (mBio)
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
The TWiM team ventures into preprint space with an analysis of type VI secretion across human gut microbiomes, and provide insight into urinary tract infection: how bladder exposure to a member of the vaginal microbiota triggers E. coli egress from latent reservoirs.
Hosts:
Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Elio Schaechter.
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode
ASM Microbe 2017
TWiM Live from ASM Microbe 2017
Landscape of type VI secretion (BioRxiv)
Type VI secretion structure (jpg)
Activation of dormant E. coli in urinary tract infection (PLoS Path)
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
The TWiMmers get cozy with symbionts: the bacteria that allow a giant shipworm to oxidize sulfur, and algae that live within salamander cells.
Hosts:
Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Elio Schaechter.
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode
ASM Microbe 2017
Chemoautotrophic symbiosis in giant shipworm (PNAS)
There’s gold in them hills (TWiM 97)
Vertebrate-algal symbiosis (eLife)
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
The TWiMsters discuss potential new sources of antimicrobial compounds from unusual places: the skin of bats and the intestines of moths.
Hosts:
Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Elio Schaechter, and Michele Swanson.
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode
JMBE science communication issue
Bat sources of novel antifungals (AEM)
White nose syndrome in US (jpg)
White nose syndrome fact sheet (pdf)
Symbiont-derived antimicrobials (Cell Chem Cell)
Bacteriocins (Wikipedia)
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
In recognition of National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, Robin Patel speaks with the TWiM team about directing a clinical bacteriology laboratory, and how an observation made by a laboratory technologist lead to the finding that Ureaplasma species can cause a system metabolic disturbance, hyperammonemia.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michael Schmidt, and Michele Swanson
Guest: Robin Patel
Links for this episode:
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The TWiM team speaks with Pat Schloss about assigning sequence data to operational taxonomic units, and his experience with mSphere Direct, a new way of submitting papers for publication.
Hosts:
Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Elio Schaechter, and Michele Swanson.
Special guest: Pat Schloss
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.
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Links for this episode
Schloss Laboratory
This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. See what’s on the menu this week and get your first 3 meals free – WITH FREE SHIPPING – by going to blueapron.com/twim
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
Vincent, Elio, and Michael reveal what Neanderthals ate from analysis of DNA in their teeth, and new CRISPR-Cas systems found in the genomes of uncultured microbes.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, and Michael Schmidt.
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone, Android, RSS, or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode
This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. See what’s on the menu this week and get your first 3 meals free – WITH FREE SHIPPING – by going to blueapron.com/twim
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
The TWiM hosts reveal why phosphorus is essential for fungal brain disease, and how bacteria kill local competitors to favor the evolution of public goods cooperation.
Hosts:
Vincent Racaniello, Michele Swanson, Michael Schmidt, and Elio Schaechter.
Links for this episodePhosphate needed for Cryptococcus brain disease (mSphere)
Type VI killing drives phase separation (Nat Rep)
Type VI secretion review (Phil Trans Roy Soc)
Microbial cooperation and conflict (TedX)
Image credit
Become a patron of TWiM.
This episode is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the #1 fresh ingredient and recipe delivery service in the country. See what’s on the menu this week and get your first 3 meals free with your first purchase – WITH FREE SHIPPING – by going to blueapron.com/twim
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twim@microbe.tv