348: The Bark Side of the Microbiome

348: The Bark Side of the Microbiome

Author: Vincent Racaniello January 22, 2026 Duration: 53:37

TWiM explains the finding that owning a dog during adolescence alters the microbiota and improves mental health, and the molecular basis for multidrug efflux by an anaerobic-associated resistance-nodulation-cell division transporter.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Petra Levin.

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Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.

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Dive into the fascinating world of bacteria, viruses, and fungi with This Week in Microbiology. Hosted by Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology & immunology, this regular audio journey explores the latest research, news, and stories from the vast universe of microbes. Each episode feels like sitting in on a lively discussion among experts and colleagues, where complex topics are broken down with clarity and enthusiasm. The conversations are informal and engaging, designed to be understood by anyone with curiosity, whether you're a professional researcher, a student, or simply someone intrigued by the invisible forces that shape our health and planet. Building on the accessible style of Racaniello's other popular science shows, this podcast demystifies the latest scientific papers, emerging infectious diseases, and the everyday roles of microorganisms in a way that is both substantive and surprisingly entertaining. You'll hear genuine dialogue, questions from listeners, and diverse perspectives that make the science feel immediate and relevant. Tune in to discover how the smallest forms of life have some of the biggest stories to tell, all through a podcast that treats microbiology not as a distant textbook subject, but as a dynamic and ever-evolving narrative happening right now, all around us.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 354

This Week in Microbiology
Podcast Episodes
TWiM #23: Fighting antibiotics with toxic gas and starvation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:05
Vincent, Jo, Elio, and Michael explain how a swarming bacterium helps disperse a non-motile fungus, and bacterial antibiotic tolerance mediated by hydrogen sulfide and starvation responses.
TWiM #22: Microbiology 911 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Vincent and Michael speak with Alfred Sacchetti, MD, Chief of Emergency Services at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, about microbial infections encountered in the emergency room.
TWiM #21: Symbiotic margheritas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Vincent and Elio discuss ancient symbiosis between Alphaproteobacteria and catenulid flatworms, and a toxin from Helicobacter pylori that engages the mitochondrial fission machinery to induce host cell death.
TWiM #20: Facebook for bacteria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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On episode #20 of the podcast This Week in Microbiology, Vincent, Michael, and Elio follow up on the outbreaks of E. coli in Germany and cholera in Haiti, then discuss genes that confer self-identity to Proteus mirabilis…
TWiM #19: Your microbiome is what you eat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Vincent, Michael, Elio, and Jo discuss the genome sequence of Y. pestis from victims of the Black Death, and the effect of diet on gut microbial enterotypes.
TWiM #18: Escherichia coli K-12, an emerging pathogen? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Vincent, Michael, Elio, and Stanley explain how to make the human intestinal commensal and benign laboratory bacterium Escherichia coli K-12 into an invasive organism, and the unearthing of century-old spores in New York…
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TWiM #16: ICAAC Live [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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On episode #16 of the podcast This Week in Microbiology, Vincent, Michael, Arturo, Stuart, and David converse about antimicrobial resistance and why most fungi do not cause disease at the 51st Interscience Conference on…
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Duration: 58:58
On episode #15 of the podcast This Week in Microbiology, Vincent, Michael and Jo review the number of species on Earth, evidence that the 2010 Haitian cholera outbreak originated in Nepal, and how gut microbiota influenc…
TWiM #14: Vomocytosis and microbial transistors [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:48
On episode #14 of the podcast This Week in Microbiology, Stanley, Margaret, Michael and Elio review how the fungus Cryptococcus escapes from macrophages, and electrical conductivity in nanowires formed by the bacterium G…