This Week in Microbiology

This Week in Microbiology

Author: Vincent Racaniello Language: English Episodes: 354
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.
Episodes
313: Could Fungal Pathogens Outsmart US? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:18
From ASM Microbe in Atlanta, Georgia, Arturo joins TWiM to reveal the threats that fungi pose to human health, including the notorious Candida auris and many more and how committed experts are researching ways to save us…
312: Cry Havoc!, and Let Slip the Phages of Healing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:14
TWiM explains a new mechanism for preventing lysogeny through temperate phage-antibiotic synergy, and Salmonella expansion in the murine gut dependency on aspartate derived from reactive oxygen species-mediated microbiot…
311: Bacteria, beware of siderophore-antibiotic hybrids [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:45
TWiM explores how climate change may be increasing our risks to infectious disease and then how the Odyssey literally comes alive in our microbial world but fear not, unlike the Trojans, the bacteria are fighting back an…
310: Starvation vs Dehydration: Who Loses, Who Wins? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:38
TWiM explores the plasticity of the adult human small intestinal stoma microbiota, and survival and rapid resuscitation that permit limited productivity in desert microbial communities. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael…
309: Stomach Acid Can Be Your Friend [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:35
Today on TWiM, a charcuterie invasion, and how that acid in your stomach may protect from the invading hordes of microbes. Hosts: Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this…
308: Living in a Community World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:02
TWiM reviews a case of E. faecium bacteremia treated with combination bacteriophage and antibiotic therapy, and how dopamine receptor D2 confers colonization resistance via microbial metabolites. Hosts: Vincent Racaniell…
307: Attaching and Effacing on a Pedestal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:07
TWiM reviews a case of E. faecium bacteremia treated with combination bacteriophage and antibiotic therapy, and how dopamine receptor D2 confers colonization resistance via microbial metabolites. Hosts: Vincent Racaniell…
306: Spirulina Smoothies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:45
TWiM discusses the identification of natural products from reconstructed ancient bacterial genomes, and how plant mRNAs move into a fungal pathogen via extracellular vesicles to reduce infection. Hosts: Vincent Racaniell…
305: The Marvel of MAC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:51
TWiM reviews the ongoing cholera outbreak in Africa, and research showing that gut complement induced by the microbiota blocks pathogens and spares commensal bacteria. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Le…
304: A New blue cheese-making fungus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:34
TWiM reveals a new population in the blue cheese-making fungus Penicillium roqueforti and identification of a quorum-sensing autoinducer and siderophore in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Appl…