This Week In Microbiology

The TWiM team reviews Salmonella colonization of three-dimensional miniature intestinal organs, and identification of a circadian clock in a non-photosynthetic prokaryote. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Salmonella colonization of enteroids (mBio) Circadian clock in nonphotosynthetic prokaryote (Science) Image credit Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv  

The TWiM team reviews the movie Jezebel, played against the background of the yellow fever epidemic of 1853 in New Orleans, and prokaryotic viperins, ancestors of the eukaryotic enzymes that synthesize antiviral molecules. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Jezebel (Wikipedia) Prokaryotic viperins (Nature) A cell protein that synthesizes antivirals (virology blog) Dr. Aude Bernheim’s training and gender equity contributions TWiM Listener survey Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

TWiM explores the use of a bacterial protein to make highly conductive microbial nanowires, and how modulin proteins seed the formation of amyloid, a key component of S. aureus biofilms. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Amyloid formation for S. aureus biofilms (eLife) Highly conductive microbial nanowires (Nat Chem Biol) Uncovering Nature’s electronics (Nature) Activating Nature’s electrical grid (Bioeng) Bacteria that exhale electricity (SyFyWire) Microbial transistors (TWiM 14) TWiM Listener survey Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv  

Mark Martin returns to TWiM for a discussion of a predatory bacterium appropriately named Vampirococcus lugosii, and Elio reveals how bacteria can be used on the International Space Station to efficiently extract rare earth elements in microgravity. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Space Station biomining (Nat Comm) Reductive evolution in a predatory bacterium (bioRxiv) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv  

In this episode of TWiM, control of Campylobacter in raw chicken by zinc oxide nanoparticles in packaging material, and Salmonella enterica genomes from a16th century epidemic in Mexico. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Zinc oxide nanoparticles in raw meat packing (Appl Env Micro) Campylobacter, an emerging foodborne pathogen (Emerg Inf Dis) Ancient bacterial DNA (Microb Genom) Salmonella enterica from 16th century outbreak (Nature) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv  

In this episode of TWiM, the hidden biochemical diversity in soil-dwelling Actinobacteria that could lead to a second Golden Era of antibiotic discovery, and structures of glideosome components reveals the mechanism of gliding in apicomplexan parasites. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Cryptic or silent? (mBio) The Streptomyces chromosome (Ann Rev Gen) Engineering Nature’s Medicines (pdf) Apicomplexan glideosome (Comm Biol) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

Ninecia and Chelsey, two of the founders of Black in Microbiology, join TWiM to discuss the goals of the organization, then we reveal survival of Deinococcus bacteria for 3 years in space, an experiment that addresses the panspermia hypothesis for interplanetary transfer of life. Guests:  Ninecia Scott and Chelsey Spriggs You can watch this episode at https://youtu.be/1o1hh0I4rio Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Black in Microbiology Deinococcus DNA damage in space (Front Micro) Monthly myco-talks (Uni Exeter) Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv  

TWiM presents an episode for mycophiles: how bacteria disarm mushroom pathogens, and the role of the CARD9 protein in protective immunity against pulmonary cryptococcosis. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michael Schmidt and Michele Swanson Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Black in Microbiology How bacteria disarm mushroom pathogens (PNAS) A bacterial battleground (Science) CARD9 needed for fungal defense (mBio) OneHealth: Fungal pathogens (AAM) Image credit Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

TWiM presents two unusual microorganisms, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, heard by Elio in an episode of Doc Martin, and Roseomonas mucosa, which is being used to treat atopic dermatitis. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Treating atopic dermatitis with R. mucosa (Sci Trans Med) Overview of sphingolipid metabolism (Adv Exp Med Biol) Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections (MTM 118) Image credit Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

The TWiM team explores how delivery of an enzyme into competitor cells leads to synthesis of (p)ppApp, depletion of ATP, deregulation of metabolic pathways, and cell death, and a refinement of our typical view of bacterial lag phase as a period of nonreplication. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, and Michael Schmidt Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Killing competitors by synthesis of (p)ppApp (Nature) Lag phase is a dynamic period (J Bact) Image credit Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

The TWiM team reveals the genetic mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls from sequencing of DNA, and 100 million year old living bacteria recovered from marine sediments. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michele Swanson and Michael Schmidt Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Elio’s Memoirs Genetic mysteries of Dead Sea Scrolls (Cell) 100 million year old bacteria under the sea (Nat Comm) Image credit Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

The TWiMmers explore detection of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces in an ophthalmology examination room, the ability of stressed populations of Yersinia bacteria to survive antimicrobial treatment within host tissues, and how volatile organic chemicals produced by soil microbes attract arthropods which in turn disperse bacterial spores. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode SARS-CoV-2 RNA in ophthalmology room (JAMA Ophth) Stressed Yersinia survive doxycycline treatment (mBio) Volatiles, a soil arthropod, and Streptomyces spore dispersal (Nature) Image credit Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv  

Mark Martin joins TWiM to describe nano-sized parasitic bacteria that inhabit humans, and the construction of whole-cell biosensors for detecting arsenic in drinking water. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, and Michael Schmidt Guest: Mark O. Martin Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Ultra-small parasitic bacteria in humans (Cell Rep) Arsenic (WHO) Arsenic and drinking water (CDC) Arsenic biosensor in bacteria (Appl Envir Micro) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

TWiM reveals a potential mucus-busting weapon for patients with cystic fibrosis, and bacteria in the intestinal tract that can oxidize cholesterol, leading to lower levels of the lipid in blood. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Biofilm eradication with nitric oxide release (ACS Inf Dis) Pseudomonas quorum sensing network (Protein) Cholesterol metabolism by gut bacteria (Cell Host Microbe) Microbes might manage your cholesterol (Harvard Gazette) TWiM Listener survey Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

TWiM reveals that methane-producing bacteria might survive beneath the surface of Mars, and identification of a cytopathogenic toxin in a bacterium associated with preterm birth. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michele Swanson and Michael Schmidt Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Archaea could make methane on Mars (Sci Rep) Cytopathogenic toxin in bacterium associated with preterm birth (J Bact) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

The TWiM discusses eradicating racism in academia and STEM, and a peptide from commensal bacteria that protects skin from damage caused by MRSA Become a patron of TWiM Links for this episode: Responsibility in academic research Improving equity in faculty hiring (MBoC) #ShutDownSTEM Peptide protects skin from microbial damage (AAC) Agr phase variants in S. aureus (mBio) S. aureus quorum sensing system (BMC Res Notes) COVID-19 joins pandemic legion (mBio) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

The TWiM team explains how breathing can transmit SARS-CoV-2, and how lack of breathing leads to loss of mitochondria in a multicellular parasitic animal. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (Science) Why social distancing is important (NY Times) Parasite without mitochondria (PNAS) Letters read on TWiM 218 Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

The TWiM team explains an experimental vaccine to prevent E. coli urinary tract infections, and the remarkable three-way symbiosis of narnaviruses, bacteria, and fungi. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Developing a vaccine for UTI (mBio) Narnaviruses and bacteria-fungal symbioses (ISME J) 20% off The Invisible ABCs for TWiM listeners! Use promo code: ABC20 at checkout. TWiM Listener survey

The TWiM team discuses saliva as more sensitive for SARS-CoV-2 detection in COVID-19 patients than nasopharyngeal swab and how Mycobacterium tuberculosis sulfolipid-1 activates nociceptive neurons and induces cough. Links for this episode: Preventing the next pandemic (NY Times) COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH) Saliva sensitive for SARS-CoV-2 detection (medRxiv) A mycobacterial molecule provokes cough (Cell) Letters read on TWiM 216 20% off The Invisible ABCs for TWiM listeners! Use promo code: ABC20 at checkout. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv    

A ferret model for infection by SARS-CoV-2, and how Neolithization lead to emergence of a human bacterial pathogen. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michele Swanson and Michael Schmidt Links for this episode: Infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in ferrets (Cell Host Micr) Neolithization led to emergence of Salmonella enterica (Nat Ecol Evol) Arnold Demain (Wikipedia) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv Become a patron of TWiM.