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 with permission.

Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]

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 questions and comments to [email protected]

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.

• Microbiology of the Gowanus Canal (J. Appl. Micro)
• Microbes clean up Gowanus (BrooklynPaper)
• Fungicide resistance in Fusarium (Pathogens)
• Couple smuggles fungal pathogen into US (NBC)
• Fusarium and wheat-management strategies (Pathogens)
• Laboratory Biosafety (pdf)
• NIH Biosafety (NIH)
• Take the TWiM Listener survey!

Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]

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.

• When a mutualist becomes lethal (mBio)
• A lasting symbiosis (Nat Rev Micro)
• A kill switch for BCG (Nat Micro)
• Engineering mycobacteria for vaccination (Nat Micro)
• Take the TWiM Listener survey!

Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]

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.

• ISS chemical and microbial environment (Cell)
• Gut microbiota and fibromyalgia pain (Neuron)
• Gut pain eases after doses of gut microbes (Nature)
• Skin innervation and fibromyalgia pain (Ann Neurol)
• Altered microbiome in fibromyalgia (Pain)
• Intestinal microbiome and fibromyalgia (Intl J Rheum Dis)
• Take the TWiM Listener survey!

Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]

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.

• Niallia tiangongensis from the China Space Station (Int J Syst Evol Biol)
• Bacterial chemical radar (Cell)
• Take the TWiM Listener survey!

Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]

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.

• Engineering E. coli with one stop codon (Nature)
• Bacterial adhesion in dental plaque (mBio)
• Microbial complexes in subgingival plaque (J Clin Periodontol)
• Bacterial clusters in periodontal and peri-implant diseases (Microorg)
• Take the TWiM Listener survey!

Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]

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.

• Pasteur’s hunt for microbes in the air (NYTimes)
• Bacterial predation by ixotrophy (Science)
• Enter the pirates (STC)
• Take the TWiM Listener survey!

Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]

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 performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.

• National Black HIV/AIDS awareness day (CDC)
• Shigella infection and human enteric alpha-defensin 5 (Nature Microbio)
• RNA polymerase amino acid change and resistance to beta-lactams (Cell Rep)
• Take the TWiM Listener survey!

Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]

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.

• Worm microbiomes produce crytoprotective proteins (Sci Adv)
• Biological antifreeze in Antarctic fishes (Sciece)
• Enhancement of bacterial ice nucleators (PNAS)
• Take the TWiM Listener survey!

Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]