Vincent Racaniello

This Week in Parasitism

Science EN ↓ 283 episodes

TWiP is a monthly netcast about eukaryotic parasites. Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier, science Professors from Columbia University, deconstruct parasites, how they cause illness, and how you can prevent infections.

Author

Vincent Racaniello

Episodes

TWiP 83: Hidden costs of infection 23.02.2015 1:35:59

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel present a new case study, and discuss the effect of chronic malaria infection on wild warbler life span and telomere degradation. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , and Daniel Griffin Links for this episode: Effect of chronic malaria infection on wild warblers (Science) Image credit Letters read on TWiP 83 Contact Send your questions and comments (e...

TWiP 82: A NOD to helminths 07.02.2015 1:35:29

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel solve last week's case study, present a new one, and reveal how secreted proteins from a helminth prevent diabetes in mice. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , and Daniel Griffin Links for this episode: Babesiosis (CDC) Babesiosis blood smear with Maltese cross (NEJM) Helminth proteins prevent diabetes in mice (PLoS One) Letters read on TWiP 82 Con...

TWiP 81: Living in a wormy world 24.01.2015 1:40:17

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel provide the solution to last week's case study, present a new one, and discuss how immune suppression by nematodes increases tuberculosis fatality in African buffalo. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , and Daniel Griffin Links for this episode: Consequences of living in a wormy world (Am Nat) Opposite effects of antihelminthic treatment on microbial...

TWiP 80: Daniel in the parasites' den 08.01.2015 1:58:07

Vincent and Dickson welcome new TWiP host Daniel to discuss the association of a new Mycoplasma with Trichomoniasis, and to introduce a new feature to the show, a case study. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , and Daniel Griffin Links for this episode: Association of Mycoplasma with trichomoniasis (PLoS One) Biggest DNA genomes (Wikipedia) Send your case study solutions to tw...

TWiP 79: Across the river and into the trees 22.11.2014 1:30:43

Vincent and Dickson discuss the spread of P. knowlesi in Malaysia, and how Leishmania parasites protect the sandfly gut from bacterial infection. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Spread of P. knowlesi in Malaysia (NY Times) Climate change in Europe and vector transmitted disease (Infez Med) Colonisation resistance in the sandfly gut (Parasites &...

TWiP 78: Eau de rodent 29.10.2014 1:11:25

Vincent and Dickson discuss how malaria parasites induce odors in their rodent hosts that attract mosquitoes. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Visceral Leishmaniasis , South Sudan (ProMedMail) Malaria-induced changes in host odors (PNAS) Image credit Letters read on TWiP 77 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twip@twiv.tv S...

TWiP 77: Mixed messages 19.09.2014 1:06:01

Vincent and Dickson discuss the exchange of messenger RNAs between a parasitic plant and its hosts. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Exchange of mRNAs between parasite and plant (Science) White leaf rust (Wikipedia) Cuscuta (Wikipedia) Fungal haustoria (PNAS) Image credit Letters read on TWiP 77 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3...

TWiP 76: Herpesvirus worms its way out 02.09.2014 1:24:09

Vincent and Dickson discuss how infection of mice with helminths induces cytokines that reactivate a latent gamma-herpesvirus. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Helminths reactivate herpesvirus (Science) How helminths go viral (Science) Herpesvirus latency protects from bacterial infection (Nature) Image credit Letters read on TWiP 76 Contact Send yo...

TWiP 75: Parasite wonders with Bobbi Pritt 21.07.2014 1:09:17

Bobbi Pritt joins Vincent and Dickson to talk about directing a clinical parasitology laboratory and her weekly case reports at Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Guest: Bobbi Pritt Links for this episode: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites Letters read on TWiP 75 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twip@twiv.tv...

TWiP 74: Nature has all the answers, what is your question? 04.07.2014 1:25:47

Vincent and Dickson review a novel malaria vaccine candidate comprising a parasite protein involved in egress from red blood cells. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Egress protein a malaria vaccine candidate (Science) Human proteins (Wikipedia) Plasmodium genomics resource Image: P. falciparum ring forms and gametocytes in blood Letters read on TW...

TWiP 73: I'm nibbling my way back to you 13.06.2014 1:06:39

Vincent and Dickson discuss how nibbling of human cells by Entamoeba histolytica , a process called amoebic trogocytosis, contributes to cell killing and tissue invasion. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Trogocytosis by E. histolytica (Nature) Trogocytosis Entamoeba histolytica (TWiP 17) Entamoeba histolytica life cycle (jpg) Image: E. histolytic...

TWiP 72: Wormholes 24.05.2014 1:40:31

Vincent and Dickson discuss five ways that helminths manipulate host tissues to survive. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Links for this episode: Wormholes in host defense (PLoS Path) Lung coin lesion (Wikipedia) Granuloma (Wikipedia) Jar that Dickson is holding (jpg) Letters read on TWiP 72 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twip@twiv.tv Subsc...

TWiP 71: Happy trails to you 10.05.2014 1:23:37

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson review the finding that urocanic acid in the skin is a chemoattractant for the parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis . Download TWiP #71 (60 MB .mp3, 84 minutes). Links for this episode: Strongyloides stercoralis (TWiP #71) Urocanic acid is a S. stercoralis chemoattractant (PNAS) Chemical trails of parasites (PN...

TWiP 70: Invasion of the swamp eels 12.04.2014 1:22:35

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson discuss the finding of Gnathostoma nematodes in Asian swamp eels from US live markets and wild populations. Links for this episode: Guinea worm eradication at risk (Science) Gnathostomiasis (CDC) Asian swamp eel Gnathostoma in live swamp eels (EID) Interview with Rebecca Cole (YouTube) Letters read on TWiP 70 Contact...

TWiP 69: Malaria rising 29.03.2014 1:13:39

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson discuss an increase in the altitude of malaria distribution in warmer years in the highlands of Colombia and Ethiopia. Links for this episode: Altitudinal changes in malaria incidence (Science) El Niño (Wikipedia) NOAA El Niño page Image credit: Science Letters read on TWiP 69 Contact Send your questions and comments (ema...

TWiP 68: Sex and the single trypanosome 08.03.2014 1:22:33

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello Dickson Despommier , and Sagi Shapira Vincent, Dickson, and Sagi discuss evidence that the pathogen Trypanosoma brucei undergoes meiosis and sexual reproduction. Links for this episode: Meiosis and haploid gametes in T. brucei (Curr Biol) Meiosis (Wikipedia) Letters read on TWiP 68 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twip@twiv.tv Su...

TWiP 67: They find each other delightful 22.02.2014 1:15:49

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson explain the genetic and molecular basis of drug resistance in Schistosoma mansonii . Links for this episode: Basis of resistance to oxamniquine (Science) Oxamniquine (Wikipedia) Letters read on TWiP 67 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twip@twiv.tv Subscribe Subscribe to TWiP (free) in iTun...

TWiP 66: A nitrile warhead for Chagas disease 08.02.2014 1:42:55

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson discuss reversible inhibitors of cruzipain as new drugs for treating Chagas disease. Links for this episode: Reversible cysteine protease inhibitors for Chagas (AAC) New drug candidates for Chagas (ScienceDaily) Pancake ice (YouTube) Letters read on TWiP 66 Contact Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to ...

TWiP 65: The real world wide web 13.01.2014 1:22:59

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson consider the effects of climate change on parasitic diseases. Links for this episode: Climate change and infectious diseases (Science) The more parasites the better ? (Science) Host and parasite control disease risk (PNAS) Parasites dominate food web links (PNAS) The World Without Us by Alan Weisman Image credit: PLoS...

TWiP 64: Three new ways to prevent malaria 19.12.2013 1:37:01

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson review three novel approaches to antimalarial chemotherapy. Links for this episode: Targeting PI(4)K to eliminate malaria (Nature) Antimicrobial peptides to target sporogonic stages of malaria (PLoS Path) Small molecule blocks malaria invasion of mosquito (PLoS Path) Photo credit Letters read on TWiP 64 Contact Send you...

TWiP 63: Plasmodium of the apes 12.11.2013 1:36:43

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson discuss evidence that the malaria parasite originated in gorillas. Links for this episode: Great apes and zoonoses (Science) Source of human malaria (PNAS) Origin of human malaria parasite in gorillas (Nature) Ape Plasmodium in Cameroon not infecting humans (PNAS) No Plasmodium in greater spot-nosed monkey (Int J P...

TWiP 62: More bats out of hell 01.11.2013 1:36:19

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson discuss the high diversity of malaria parasites in West African bats, and a vaccine against hookworm. Links for this episode: High diversity of West African bat malaria parasites (PNAS) Human hookworm vaccine (Vaccine) Gongylonema infection in human (Am J Trop Med Hyg) Letters read on TWiP 62 Contact Send your questions...

TWiP 61: Some creep crept into the crypt and crapped 15.10.2013 1:14:33

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson review examples of paleoparasitology, the detection of parasites in archaeological material. Links for this episode: T. rex had Trichomonas (PLoS One) King Richard III had worms (CNN) Discovery of toilets in Japan (Mem Inst Os Cruz) Paleoparasitology in the Old World (Mem Inst Os Cruz) Soils from Seoul (J Arachael Sci...

TWiP 60: Urine a game of cat and mouse 25.09.2013 1:10:01

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson discuss how infection with Toxoplasma gondii causes mice to lose their aversion to cat urine, even after the parasites have been cleared. Links for this episode: T. gondii in mice causes loss of aversion to cat urine (PLoS One) Cyclosporiasis update (CDC) Letters read on TWiP 60 Listener Pick Blaine - The Worm Within...

TWiP 59: Apicomplexity 09.09.2013 1:23:43

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Vincent and Dickson update the multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, discuss the avian malaria parasite P. lophurae , and review protection against malaria by intravenous immunization with a nonreplicating sporozoite vaccine. Links for this episode: Cyclosporiasis outbreak in US (CDC) Extraordinary history of REV (PLoS Biology) Avian malaria...