Vincent Racaniello

This Week in Microbiology

Science EN ↓ 366 episodes

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.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.asm.org

Author

Vincent Racaniello

Category

Science

Podcast website

www.asm.org

Latest episode

Oct 10, 2026

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Episodes

190: Exosomes in your nose and in your gut 07.12.2018

The TWiM-opods consider two stories about exosomes, vesicles that are shed from cells: those that eliminate airway pathogens, and those from the plants we eat that shape our gut microbiome. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Android , RSS , or by email. Get the entire ASM Podcast Network via our Microbe...

189: Salmonella BonJovi 16.11.2018

The TWiM team considers the state of the world's fungi as revealed by a report from the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, and how Salmonella loses motility to evade host defenses. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Michael Schmidt ,  Elio Schaechter , and Michele Swanson Take our listener survey. Thanks! asm.org/twimpoll Subscribe to TWiM (free) on  iTunes ,  Google Podcasts ,  Stitcher ,  Android ,  RSS ,...

188: Turducken antibiotics 31.10.2018

The TWiM rock stars show how to modify gram-positive antibiotics so they can kill gram-negative cells, and bacteria that have both DNA and RNA in their genome. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello and  Michael Schmidt Links for this episode Antibiotics for gram-positives that kill gram-negatives (J Med Chem) Sideromycin commentary (Am Council Sci Health) Bacterial genome with DNA and RNA (J Am Chem Soc) Sub...

187: Rounding up the bees 19.10.2018

The TWiM people reveal that phages must cooperate to overcome CRISPR-Cas defenses, and the effect of the herbicide glyphosate on the gut microbiome of honey bees. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Elio Schaechter ,   Michael Schmidt , and Michele Swanson Subscribe to TWiM (free) on  iTunes ,  Google Podcasts ,  Stitcher ,  Android ,  RSS , or by  email.  You can also listen on your mobile device with t...

186: Crypto-metamorphosis 05.10.2018

The TWiM team describe the involvement of a microbiome in snail metamorphosis, and using Listeria to kill tumors. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Android , RSS , or by email. Get the entire ASM Podcast Network via our Microbeworld app . Become a  Patron of TWiM ! Links for this episode Infectious dise...

185: There's no moa Moa 21.09.2018

The TWiM team considers the increasing tolerance of Enterococcus to handwash alcohols, and how the study of DNA in ancient dung reveals the diet and parasite burden of extinct New Zealand birds. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on  iTunes ,  Google Podcasts ,  Stitcher ,  Android ,  RSS , or by  email.  You can also listen on your mobile device with the  Microbeworld app . Become a  Patron of TWiM ! Episo...

184: CRISPR-Cas immune systems 07.09.2018

Sam Sternberg discusses his work on exploring and exploiting CRISPR-Cas immune systems, beginning as a graduate student with Jennifer Doudna, at a biotech start-up, and in his laboratory at Columbia University. Host:  Vincent Racaniello Guest:  Sam Sternberg  Become a  Patron of TWiM ! Links for this episode Sternberg Laboratory at Columbia Mechanism of substrate selection by Cas9 (RNA) DNA interr...

183: Two symbioses 23.08.2018

The TWiMpeeps discuss two symbioses: a parasitoid bacterium of a heterotrophic protist, and fungal parasites in cicadas. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Parasitoid bacterium of protist (bioRxiv) Fungal symbiont recruitment in cicadas (PNAS) Fly by virus ( TWiEVO 33 ) The Atlantic "How to Tame a Zombie Fungus" by Ed Yong Image credit Letters read on TWiM 183 Music used on TWiM is c...

182: A micro story with macro implications 09.08.2018

The TWiM hosts reveal how to test antimicrobial susceptibility in less than 30 minutes, and a carbonate-sensitive phytotransferrin in diatoms that controls iron uptake. Become a  Patron of TWiM ! Links for this episode: Legionnaire's Disease with Michele Swanson Antibiotic susceptibility in less than 30 min (PNAS) S. saprophyticus growing in microfluidic chip (movie, PNAS) Mother machine (Jun lab)...

181: Dr. Warhol's Periodic Table of Microbes 26.07.2018

Vincent speaks with John Warhol about state microbes, the Periodic Table of the Microbes, and why microbiology is cooler than astrophysics, but they have better TV shows. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guest : John Warhol Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts, Android , RSS , or by email. Get the entire ASM Podcast Network via our Microbeworld app . Become a patron of TWiM. Links...

180: Microbecentricity with Mark O. Martin 13.07.2018

Vincent speaks with Mark O. Martin about microbial centricity, teaching undergraduates microbiology, lux art, painting with glowing bacteria, tardigrades and much more at ASM Microbe 2018. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guest : Mark O. Martin Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts, Android , RSS , or by email. Get the entire ASM Podcast Network via our Microbeworld app . Become a p...

179: Viable but not culturable 29.06.2018

The TwiModulators discuss aerosolization of bacteria and viruses in an ocean-atmosphere mesocosm, and how the common practice of decontaminating produce with chlorine produces viable but non-culturable pathogens . Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Taxon-specific aerosolization of bacteria and viruses (Nat Commun) Chlorine produces viable but non-culturable bacteria (mBio) Chlorine w...

178: Corals are sexy with Christina Kellogg 15.06.2018

The TWiM team travels to ASM Microbe 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia to speak with Christina Kellogg about her career and her research on coral microbial ecology. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello ,  Michael Schmidt ,  Elio Schaechter  and Michele Swanson Guest: Christina Kellogg Subscribe to TWiM (free) on  iTunes ,  Stitcher ,  Android ,  RSS , or by  email.  You can also listen on your mobile device with the...

177: Microbial sibling conflict 01.06.2018

The TWiM team discuss bacteriophage evolution in a dairy plant, and killing of less fit cells among social microbes. Hosts:   Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , Michele Swanson , and Elio Schaechter . Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app . Links for this episode A decade of phage evolution (Appl En...

176: Elio has lots of colanic acid 17.05.2018

Vincent, Michael and Elio note the passing of Stanley Falkow, give E. coli an archaeal membrane, and show how the microbiome can make worms live longer. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , and Elio Schaechter . Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app . Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this ep...

175: Neomycin is antiviral 02.05.2018

The TWiM team notes the passing of Allan Campbell, and explains how aminoglycoside antibiotics like neomycin enhance host resistance to viral infection. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , and Michele Swanson. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app . Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this epi...

174: A Gathering Typhoid Storm 19.04.2018

The TWiMsters explain why untreatable typhoid fever might be on the way, and the evolution of fungal virulence in tropical frogs. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , and Elio Schaechter. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app . Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Extensively drug r...

173: Gee whiz in style 30.03.2018

The Masters of the Microbiological Universe discuss the humongouest fungus, and a commensal bacterium that protects against skin neoplasia. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , Michele Swanson and Elio Schaechter. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app . Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this...

172: Unfolding relaxases and soil malacidins 15.03.2018

The TWiMmers discuss culture-independent discovery of malacidin antibiotics, and unfolding of relaxase during bacterial conjugation. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , Michele Swanson and Elio Schaechter. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app . Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode...

171: If you give a bee a fungus 22.02.2018

The TWiM team explores a stingless bee that requires a fungal steroid to pupate, and colonic biofilms containing tumorigenic bacteria in patients with colorectal polyps. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , and Elio Schaechter. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app . Become a patron of TWiM. L...

170: Rats, lice, and nanoparticles 08.02.2018

The TWiM team reveals that spread of plague was likely by human ectoparasites, not rats, and deconstruct a durable, broadly protective protein nanoparticle influenza virus vaccine. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , Michele Swanson and Elio Schaechter. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Ectoparasites and plague (PNAS) SIR model for spread of disease (MAA) Protein nanoparti...

169: Breatharian Bacteria 23.01.2018

The cast of TWiM reveals how uropathogenic E. coli use a copper-binding protein to treat copper as a nutrient or a toxin, and Antarctic soil bacteria that survive on trace atmospheric gases. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , Michele Swanson and Elio Schaechter. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbew...

TWiM #168: The lesser of two weevils 05.01.2018

Dickson joins the TWiM team to discuss the nasal microbiota of dairy farmers, and attenuation of bacterial virulence by quorum sensing in the maize weevil. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello , Michael Schmidt , and Michele Swanson . Guest: Dickson Despommier Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app . Become a patr...

TWiM #167: I have one word for you: Flink 22.12.2017

How pandemic influenza viruses suppress immunogenic cell death, and 3D printing of bacteria into functional materials.

TWiM #166: Dark fermentation 07.12.2017

Vincent and Elio discuss the reason for poor efficacy of one of the influenza virus vaccines, and using a hyperthermophilic anaerobe to produce hydrogen from fruit and vegetable wastes in seawater. Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello and Elio Schaechter. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on iPhone , Android , RSS , or by email. You can also listen on your mobile device with the ASM Podcast app . Become a patron of...

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