This Week In Microbiology

Foodie TWiM reveals that bacteria in human saliva are major components of Ecuadorian indigenous beers, and an unusual E. coli that produces atypical light cream-colored colonies in chromogenic agar. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Saliva bacteria in indigenous beers (Peer J) Unusual behavior of E. coli ST59 (Appl Envir Micro) One Health (CDC) 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 continues its food arc with an examination of the effect of peroxyacetic acid spray on the microbiome and sensory properties of beef, and explores asymmetry of the cell division machinery during sporulation. Links for this episode: Effect of peroxyacetic acid on beef (Appl Envir Micro) Peracetic acid sterilization (CDC) Different cuts of beef (S. Clyde Weaver) Profiling the Poglianos (TWiM 115) Cell division machinery asymmetry in sporulation (eLife) Kamala Sohonie by Kanika Khanna India COVID SOS 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 reveals the microbiome of sourdough starter cultures, and discovery of a novel family of prokaryotic nanocompartments involved in the metabolism of sulfur. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Sourdough starter microbiomes (eLife) Prokaryotic nanocompartments (eLife) TWiM Listener survey 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 explains how Vibrio biofilms are dispersed by polyamine signals, and the induction of inappetence by respiratory virus infection which causes alteration of the gut microbiome. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Regulation of Vibrio biofilms by polyamines (eLife) Cyclic di-GMP (pdf) Respiratory virus infection induces inappetance (mBio) Letters read on TWiM 241 TWiM Listener survey Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv  

TWiM reviews aspirin modulation of Fusobacterium nucleatum, a microbe that has been associated with colorectal cancer, and Elio tells us ‘What are vaccines’, a talk he recently gave to members of his community. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Elio’s What are Vaccines? (pdf) Jenner Museum Aspirin modulation of Fusobacterium (mBio) Fecal transplant for C. difficile (NEJM) Fecal microbiota transplantation (NEJM) Fecal microbiota transplant for dysbiosis (NEJM) 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 how variants of P. aeruginosa survive antimicrobial treatment, and a decrease in the antimicrobial resistance of the gut microbiome in the presence of the fungus C. albicans. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Phoenix colony variants of P. aeruginosa (AAC) Candida and the gut microbiota (mSphere) 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

Elio reveals his thoughts on the big themes of modern microbiology, followed by an analysis of the gut microbiome in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Parkinson’s disease gut microbiome (NPJ Parkinsons) Sequencing data as compositions (Bioinformatics) Gut microbiota in mouse Parkinson’s model (Cell) 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

To celebrate ten years, TWiM asks former hosts and guests to provide their thoughts on how microbiology has contributed to our understanding of the microbial world. Links for this episode: Neisseria LINES up: TWiM #1 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, hiring and training expectations for future biomedical life sciences faculty, and the roles of bacterial symbionts in deep-sea hydrothermal vent tubeworms. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Expectations for life sciences faculty (Life Sci Edu) Academic career readiness assessment (UCSF) Tubeworm bacterial symbionts (eLife) Traveling on the Alvin (Dark Life II) 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

In this episode, how DNA of giant viruses has contributed extensively to the genome of green algae, and inhibition of E. coli virulence by a metabolic product of arachidonic acid in the intestinal epithelium. Links for this episode: Giant viral DNA shapes genomes of green algae (Nature) James Van Etten Darwin’s Radio Arachidonic acid and E. coli virulence (mBio) How a pathogenic E. coli infection begins 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 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