This episode: Bacteria with their own magnetic compass can also clean up and recover toxic but valuable elements!

Download Episode (6.1 MB, 6.7 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Tanaka M, Knowles W, Brown R, Hondow N, Arakaki A, Baldwin S, Staniland S, Matsunaga T. 2016. Biomagnetic Recovery and Bioaccumulation of Selenium Granules in Magnetotactic Bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 82:3886–3891.

Other interesting stories:

• Gut microbe communities are affected by genetics
• New microbe can do interesting chemistry to make antibiotics and stuff
• Microbes in the gut cooperate with each other (paper)
• Cyanobacterium's eyeball ability can sense and respond to UV light
• Fungus can remove mercury from water (paper)

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Bacteria with their own magnetic compass can also clean up and recover toxic but valuable elements!

Download Episode (6.1 MB, 6.7 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Tanaka M, Knowles W, Brown R, Hondow N, Arakaki A, Baldwin S, Staniland S, Matsunaga T. 2016. Biomagnetic Recovery and Bioaccumulation of Selenium Granules in Magnetotactic Bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 82:3886–3891.

Other interesting stories:

• Gut microbe communities are affected by genetics
• New microbe can do interesting chemistry to make antibiotics and stuff
• Microbes in the gut cooperate with each other (paper)
• Cyanobacterium's eyeball ability can sense and respond to UV light
• Fungus can remove mercury from water (paper)

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Individual slime molds show the ability to learn about their environment!

Download Episode (8.8 MB, 9.6 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Boisseau RP, Vogel D, Dussutour A. 2016. Habituation in non-neural organisms: evidence from slime moulds. Proc R Soc B 283:20160446.

Other interesting stories:

• Lactobacilli could control fungal plant pathogen (paper)
• Probiotics may not be helpful if one is genetically unable to respond to them
• Activity of gut microbes can affect nervous system inflammation
• Biofilms develop good electrical conductivity (paper)
• Three ways antibiotics affect more than just infections

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Individual slime molds show the ability to learn about their environment!

Download Episode (8.8 MB, 9.6 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Boisseau RP, Vogel D, Dussutour A. 2016. Habituation in non-neural organisms: evidence from slime moulds. Proc R Soc B 283:20160446.

Other interesting stories:

• Lactobacilli could control fungal plant pathogen (paper)
• Probiotics may not be helpful if one is genetically unable to respond to them
• Activity of gut microbes can affect nervous system inflammation
• Biofilms develop good electrical conductivity (paper)
• Three ways antibiotics affect more than just infections

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Scientists build a battery out of microbes and electrodes that can store and release electricity repeatedly!

Download Episode (7.5 MB, 8.1 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Interesting articles about anaerobic digesters
Journal Paper:
Molenaar SD, Mol AR, Sleutels THJA, ter Heijne A, Buisman CJN. 2016. Microbial Rechargeable Battery: Energy Storage and Recovery through Acetate. Environ Sci Technol Lett 3:144–149.

Other interesting stories:

• Viruses are transferred with fecal transplant, but only ones that attack bacteria (paper)
• Communities of microbes on skin don't change much
• Antibodies from mother in milk help babies tolerate good microbes
• Bacteria could help control insects by killing males
• More associations between childhood bacteria and asthma

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Scientists build a battery out of microbes and electrodes that can store and release electricity repeatedly!

Download Episode (7.5 MB, 8.1 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Interesting articles about anaerobic digesters
Journal Paper:
Molenaar SD, Mol AR, Sleutels THJA, ter Heijne A, Buisman CJN. 2016. Microbial Rechargeable Battery: Energy Storage and Recovery through Acetate. Environ Sci Technol Lett 3:144–149.

Other interesting stories:

• Viruses are transferred with fecal transplant, but only ones that attack bacteria (paper)
• Communities of microbes on skin don't change much
• Antibodies from mother in milk help babies tolerate good microbes
• Bacteria could help control insects by killing males
• More associations between childhood bacteria and asthma

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Bacteria in the gills of fish help break down their metabolic wastes before they reach toxic levels!

Download Episode (9 MB, 9.8 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
van Kessel MAHJ, Mesman RJ, Arshad A, Metz JR, Spanings FAT, van Dalen SCM, van Niftrik L, Flik G, Wendelaar Bonga SE, Jetten MSM, Klaren PHM, Op den Camp HJM. 2016. Branchial nitrogen cycle symbionts can remove ammonia in fish gills. Environ Microbiol Rep 8:590–594.

Other interesting stories:

• How do microbes live in the harsh conditions of salt-secreting tree leaves? (paper)
• Bacteria inside fungi affect how they interact with plants (paper)
• Wolbachia may prevent dengue transmission by affecting mosquito lipids (paper)
• Effects from fungi in soil can be detected from space
• Bacterial mosquito symbionts block Zika transmission

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Bacteria in the gills of fish help break down their metabolic wastes before they reach toxic levels!

Download Episode (9 MB, 9.8 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
van Kessel MAHJ, Mesman RJ, Arshad A, Metz JR, Spanings FAT, van Dalen SCM, van Niftrik L, Flik G, Wendelaar Bonga SE, Jetten MSM, Klaren PHM, Op den Camp HJM. 2016. Branchial nitrogen cycle symbionts can remove ammonia in fish gills. Environ Microbiol Rep 8:590–594.

Other interesting stories:

• How do microbes live in the harsh conditions of salt-secreting tree leaves? (paper)
• Bacteria inside fungi affect how they interact with plants (paper)
• Wolbachia may prevent dengue transmission by affecting mosquito lipids (paper)
• Effects from fungi in soil can be detected from space
• Bacterial mosquito symbionts block Zika transmission

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Newly discovered bacteria can break down especially long-lived type of plastic!

Download Episode (6.4 MB, 7 minutes)

Show notes:
News item 1/News item 2 (loginwall)

Journal Paper:
Yoshida S, Hiraga K, Takehana T, Taniguchi I, Yamaji H, Maeda Y, Toyohara K, Miyamoto K, Kimura Y, Oda K. 2016. A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate). Science 351:1196–1199.

Other interesting stories:

• Worms may help gut health by modifying microbe community
• Figuring out how breastmilk helps babies' microbes
• Gut bacteria can affect fruit fly reproduction (paper)
• Bacteria can crawl along and kill fungal filaments (paper)
• Feeding mice fiber for bacteria increases their anti-inflammatory effect (paper)

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook

This episode: Newly discovered bacteria can break down especially long-lived type of plastic!

Download Episode (6.4 MB, 7 minutes)

Show notes:
News item 1/News item 2 (loginwall)

Journal Paper:
Yoshida S, Hiraga K, Takehana T, Taniguchi I, Yamaji H, Maeda Y, Toyohara K, Miyamoto K, Kimura Y, Oda K. 2016. A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate). Science 351:1196–1199.

Other interesting stories:

• Worms may help gut health by modifying microbe community
• Figuring out how breastmilk helps babies' microbes
• Gut bacteria can affect fruit fly reproduction (paper)
• Bacteria can crawl along and kill fungal filaments (paper)
• Feeding mice fiber for bacteria increases their anti-inflammatory effect (paper)

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

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook