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PODCAST

This Week in Microbiology

Vincent Racaniello

This Week in Microbiology is 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.

science life sciences

All Episodes

43:57

343: Nucleotides to the Defense

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/10/25

TWiM explores two different ways that bacteria defend against phages through the synthesis of cyclic nucleotides. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Decoy cyclic nucleotides in phage defense (Nature) CRISPR defense with nucleotides (Nature) A decoy defence molecule to set a trap for viruses (Nature) Cyclic oligonucleotide-based antiphage signaling system immunity (Curr Opin Immunol) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and

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53:37

342: The Microbiome, Pancreatic Cancer, and Sleep...

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/10/11

TWiM explains studies that show that the oral bacterial and fungal microbiome are risk factors for pancreatic cancer, and the gut microbiome and pyruvate metabolism of older adults are a link between sleep quality and frailty. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this

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48:35

341: Sea Star Wasting Disease

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/09/27

TWiM reveals a Vibrio as the causative agent of sea star wasting disease, and using microcolony-seq to uncover phenotypic inheritance from single cells. Hosts: Michael Schmidt and Michele Swanson Guest: Mark O. Martin Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Agent of sea star wasting disease (Nat Ecol Evol) Sea star wasting mystery solved (Nat Ecol Evol) Phenotypic inheritance from single cells (Cell) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald

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48:58

340: Microbes in Trees and Plants

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/09/12

TWiM explores the varied and distinct microbiome of trees, and an array of biopesticidal metabolites against mosquito larvae isolated from a Mediterranean island. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Microbiome of trees (Nature) Biopesticides from a Mediterranean island (Appl Environ Micro) 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

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59:09

339: Missing the Company of Elio

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/08/29

TWiM pays tribute to Elio Schaechter, former TWiM host, blogger, and microbiologist extraordinaire, then reviews the finding that Archaea produce peptidoglycan hydrolases that kill bacteria - a form of competition. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Petra Levin. Guest Mark O. Martin. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Elio Schaechter (Wikipedia) Elio Schaechter Funeral

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53:22

338: Rewriting the Code of Life

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/08/16

TWiM discusses outbreak of Legionnaires disease in Harlem NY, an automated whole genome sequencing platform for bacterial strain typing in clinical microbiology laboratories, building E. coli with a 57-codon genetic code. Links for this episode Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in NY (NY Health) Automated whole genome sequencing for clinical labs (J Clin Micro) Sequencing workflow for outbreaks (J Clin Micro) Rewriting code of life (NYTimes) E. coli with a 57-codon genetic code (Science) E

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01:04:44

337: Lifestyles of the Plasmids

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/07/31

TWiM explains a study that examines pathogen presence in ancient humans and concludes that zoonoses emerged 6500 years ago with the domestication of livestock, and determination of universal rules that govern plasmid copy number. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson, and Petra Levin Guests: Mark O. Martin Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Human pathogens in ancient Eurasia (Nature) What once ailed us (NY Times) Rules of

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55:38

336: The Volatilome of Biofluids

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/07/19

TWiM explores the use of gas sensors and machine learning to identify microbes and antimicrobial resistance in clinical specimens, and how a harmful algal bloom species releases thiamin antivitamins to suppress competitors. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Microbial and antimicrobial resistance diagnostics (Cell Biomaterials) Thiamin antivitamins suppress algal competitors (mBio) Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used

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50:25

335: Slip Slidin’ Away

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/07/04

TWiM explains two strategies for bacterial competition for resources: by laying down a slippery lipid and pushing away competitors, or by breaking open cells with a spike, liberating essential nutrients. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Secreting a slippery lipid (mBio) Lysing neighboring cells for nutrients (Science) Underwater hockey (YouTube Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology

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56:46

334: Fungal Smuggle

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/06/20

TWiM describes how microbiological analysis of the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn has revealed an antimicrobial resistance reservoir and bioremediation potential, and fungicide resistance in Fusarium graminearum, the fungus recently smuggled into the US. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Petra Levin. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission

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58:20

333: When Mutualists Murder

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/06/07

TWiM explains how a mutualistic model bacterium can become lethal in a non-symbiotic host, and engineering a kill switch into a tuberculosis vaccine for improved safety. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode When a mutualist becomes lethal (mBio)

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01:03:00

332: Fibromyalgia Pain and the Gut Microbiome

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/05/23

TWiM explains a study of the unique and extreme microbial and chemical environment on the International Space Station, and the connection between the gut microbiome and pain in fibromyalgia. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Michele Swanson. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode ISS chemical and microbial environment (Cell) Gut microbiota and fibromyalgia pain (Neuron) Gut pain eases

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46:41

331: Radar Love in Bacteria

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/04/26

TWiM describes isolation of a novel bacterial species isolated from the China Space Station, and how a chemical radar allows bacteria to detect and kill predators. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Petra Levin. Guest Mark O. Martin. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Niallia tiangongensis from the China Space Station (Int J Syst Evol Biol) Bacterial chemical radar (Cell) Take the TWiM

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53:57

330: More mouth Microbiology

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/04/11

TWiM explains how to recode E. coli so it uses only one stop codon, and an exploration of the mechanisms of bacterial adhesion within dental plaque. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Engineering E. coli with one stop codon (Nature) Bacterial adhesion in dental plaque (mBio) Microbial complexes in subgingival plaque (J

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54:17

329: Bacteria Hunt With Grappling Hooks

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/03/17

TWiM explains Pasteur’s relentless hunt for microbes in the air, and how bacteria hunt for prey by ixotrophy - using grappling hooks! Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Pasteur’s hunt for microbes in the air (NYTimes) Bacterial predation by ixotrophy (Science) Enter the pirates (STC) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send

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46:59

328: Capturing Shigella With Filopodia

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/02/28

TWiM describes Shigella infection is facilitated by interaction of human enteric α-defensin 5 with a colonic epithelial receptor, and an amino acid change in RNA polymerase that leads to resistance to β-lactams by preventing dysregulation of amino acid and nucleotide metabolism Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and

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52:28

327: Freezing and Anti-Freezing With Bacteria

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/02/06

TWiM explains the remarkable abilities of bacterial ice nucleating proteins to promote freezing of water, and cryoprotective proteins produced by worm microbiomes that prevent freezing. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Worm microbiomes produce crytoprotective proteins (Sci Adv) Biological antifreeze in Antarctic fishes

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53:08

326: I Have One Word For You: PETase!

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/01/24

TWiM explores the discovery of microbial enzymes, PETases, that can degrade ubiquitous plastics, and how exogenous peptidoglycan is a danger signal to trigger biofilm formation. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson. Guest Mark O. Martin. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Discovery of PET

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41:54

325: Microbes Making Methane

This Week in Microbiology ·

2025/01/10

TWiM reveals that record high atmospheric methane growth has been driven by microbes, and the cecum as an adaptive niche for Salmonella typhi. Hosts: Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Links for this episode Why a potent greenhouse gas is rising (WaPo) Microbial emissions drove record high

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01:02:23

324: Back To School for TWiM

This Week in Microbiology ·

2024/12/27

From ASMCUE 2024, the conference on undergraduate education, TWiM speaks with Becky, Melanie, and Katriana about their careers and how they use TWiM in undergraduate microbiology education. Hosts: Michael Schmidt and Mark O. Martin Guests: Becky Seipel-Thiemann, Melanie Melendrez-Vallard, and Katriana Popichak Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with

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344 results

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