This episode: Microbes from obese mice seemed helpful in protecting other mice somewhat from an unhealthy lifestyle.

Download Episode (8.5 MB, 9.25 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Streptomyces thermoviolaceus

News item

Journal Paper:
Nicolas S, Blasco‐Baque V, Fournel A, Gilleron J, Klopp P, Waget A, Ceppo F, Marlin A, Padmanabhan R, Iacovoni JS, Tercé F, Cani PD, Tanti J-F, Burcelin R, Knauf C, Cormont M, Serino M. 2017. Transfer of dysbiotic gut microbiota has beneficial effects on host liver metabolism. Mol Syst Biol 13:921.

Other interesting stories:

• Global warming could harm reptiles by disrupting their gut bacteria
• Insect microbes that start causing disease but then stop when their numbers get higher
• Microbes in sea spray affect the atmosphere and climate
• How breastmilk bacteria affect infant's gut community
• Sea sponge bacteria can produce toxic flame retardant chemicals

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Microbes from obese mice seemed helpful in protecting other mice somewhat from an unhealthy lifestyle.

Download Episode (8.5 MB, 9.25 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Streptomyces thermoviolaceus

News item

Journal Paper:
Nicolas S, Blasco‐Baque V, Fournel A, Gilleron J, Klopp P, Waget A, Ceppo F, Marlin A, Padmanabhan R, Iacovoni JS, Tercé F, Cani PD, Tanti J-F, Burcelin R, Knauf C, Cormont M, Serino M. 2017. Transfer of dysbiotic gut microbiota has beneficial effects on host liver metabolism. Mol Syst Biol 13:921.

Other interesting stories:

• Global warming could harm reptiles by disrupting their gut bacteria
• Insect microbes that start causing disease but then stop when their numbers get higher
• Microbes in sea spray affect the atmosphere and climate
• How breastmilk bacteria affect infant's gut community
• Sea sponge bacteria can produce toxic flame retardant chemicals

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Tardigrades have an interesting way of surviving complete drying out: by producing proteins lacking a stable structure!

Download Episode (11.8 MB, 13 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Chandipura vesiculovirus

News item

Journal Paper:
Boothby TC, Tapia H, Brozena AH, Piszkiewicz S, Smith AE, Giovannini I, Rebecchi L, Pielak GJ, Koshland D, Goldstein B. 2017. Tardigrades Use Intrinsically Disordered Proteins to Survive Desiccation. Mol Cell 65:975–984.e5.

Other interesting stories:

• Gut microbes are important for many bee bodily functions (paper)
• Bacterium helps defend insects but makes plants sick
• Bacteria can mutate faster or slower to adapt to their environment
• Cyanobacteria respond to different colors of light in different ways (paper)(commentary)
• Intense prolonged exercise could negatively impact the gut community

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Tardigrades have an interesting way of surviving complete drying out: by producing proteins lacking a stable structure!

Download Episode (11.8 MB, 13 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Chandipura vesiculovirus

News item

Journal Paper:
Boothby TC, Tapia H, Brozena AH, Piszkiewicz S, Smith AE, Giovannini I, Rebecchi L, Pielak GJ, Koshland D, Goldstein B. 2017. Tardigrades Use Intrinsically Disordered Proteins to Survive Desiccation. Mol Cell 65:975–984.e5.

Other interesting stories:

• Gut microbes are important for many bee bodily functions (paper)
• Bacterium helps defend insects but makes plants sick
• Bacteria can mutate faster or slower to adapt to their environment
• Cyanobacteria respond to different colors of light in different ways (paper)(commentary)
• Intense prolonged exercise could negatively impact the gut community

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Viruses infecting cyanobacteria can produce proteins that actually help their host capture light better!

Download Episode (6.6 MB, 7.25 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Pseudomonas asplenii

News item

Journal Paper:
Gasper R, Schwach J, Hartmann J, Holtkamp A, Wiethaus J, Riedel N, Hofmann E, Frankenberg-Dinkel N. 2017. Distinct Features of Cyanophage-encoded T-type Phycobiliprotein Lyase ΦCpeT: The Role of Auxiliary Metabolic Genes. J Biol Chem 292:3089–3098.

Other interesting stories:

• Many new antibiotics could be discovered in fungi
• Finding bacteria to degrade triclosan in the environment
• Microbes could affect gut chemotherapy treatment
• Carbon nanotubes help bacteria produce more methane (paper)
• Fecal transplant could be helpful for treating ulcerative colitis also

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Viruses infecting cyanobacteria can produce proteins that actually help their host capture light better!

Download Episode (6.6 MB, 7.25 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Pseudomonas asplenii

News item

Journal Paper:
Gasper R, Schwach J, Hartmann J, Holtkamp A, Wiethaus J, Riedel N, Hofmann E, Frankenberg-Dinkel N. 2017. Distinct Features of Cyanophage-encoded T-type Phycobiliprotein Lyase ΦCpeT: The Role of Auxiliary Metabolic Genes. J Biol Chem 292:3089–3098.

Other interesting stories:

• Many new antibiotics could be discovered in fungi
• Finding bacteria to degrade triclosan in the environment
• Microbes could affect gut chemotherapy treatment
• Carbon nanotubes help bacteria produce more methane (paper)
• Fecal transplant could be helpful for treating ulcerative colitis also

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Roundworms in soil can carry with them bacteria they eat to grow new food, like farmers!

Download Episode (11.1 MB, 12.15 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Equid alphaherpesvirus 1

News item

Journal Paper:
Thutupalli S, Uppaluri S, Constable GWA, Levin SA, Stone HA, Tarnita CE, Brangwynne CP. 2017. Farming and public goods production in Caenorhabditis elegans populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci 114:2289–2294.

Other interesting stories:

• Using modified CRISPR for quick detection of infections
• Modifying cyanobacterium cell length to make extracting biofuels easier (paper)
• Fusing phage proteins with antibodies to better target pathogens
• Some amoebas can penetrate biofilms to feed on dangerous bacteria (paper)
• Phages have some advantages over antibiotics

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Roundworms in soil can carry with them bacteria they eat to grow new food, like farmers!

Download Episode (11.1 MB, 12.15 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Equid alphaherpesvirus 1

News item

Journal Paper:
Thutupalli S, Uppaluri S, Constable GWA, Levin SA, Stone HA, Tarnita CE, Brangwynne CP. 2017. Farming and public goods production in Caenorhabditis elegans populations. Proc Natl Acad Sci 114:2289–2294.

Other interesting stories:

• Using modified CRISPR for quick detection of infections
• Modifying cyanobacterium cell length to make extracting biofuels easier (paper)
• Fusing phage proteins with antibodies to better target pathogens
• Some amoebas can penetrate biofilms to feed on dangerous bacteria (paper)
• Phages have some advantages over antibiotics

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Even organisms as simple as viruses can communicate with each other!

Download Episode (12.7 MB, 13.9 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Sweet potato virus C

Commentary (paywall)
Great talk about bacterial communication by Dr. Bonnie Bassler

Journal Paper:
Erez Z, Steinberger-Levy I, Shamir M, Doron S, Stokar-Avihail A, Peleg Y, Melamed S, Leavitt A, Savidor A, Albeck S, Amitai G, Sorek R. 2017. Communication between viruses guides lysis–lysogeny decisions. Nature 541:488–493.

Other interesting stories:

• Engineering gut bacteria to detect and report gut inflammation
• Plants give fat to their root fungi in exchange for other nutrients
• Gut microbe metabolite linked with lower risk of diabetes
• Making bioelectrodes by embedding bacteria in glass (paper)
• Using CRISPR to discover new drug-producing bacterial genes

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Even organisms as simple as viruses can communicate with each other!

Download Episode (12.7 MB, 13.9 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Sweet potato virus C

Commentary (paywall)
Great talk about bacterial communication by Dr. Bonnie Bassler

Journal Paper:
Erez Z, Steinberger-Levy I, Shamir M, Doron S, Stokar-Avihail A, Peleg Y, Melamed S, Leavitt A, Savidor A, Albeck S, Amitai G, Sorek R. 2017. Communication between viruses guides lysis–lysogeny decisions. Nature 541:488–493.

Other interesting stories:

• Engineering gut bacteria to detect and report gut inflammation
• Plants give fat to their root fungi in exchange for other nutrients
• Gut microbe metabolite linked with lower risk of diabetes
• Making bioelectrodes by embedding bacteria in glass (paper)
• Using CRISPR to discover new drug-producing bacterial genes

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles at gmail dot com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook