Explore every episode of the podcast This Week in Microbiology
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 346: Metabolism and Porin Permeability | 13 Dec 2025 | 00:53:55 | |
TWiM explains how competition for nutrients anticipates and potentially mitigate drug side effects on the gut microbiota, and metabolic control of porin permeability influences antibiotic resistance. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt and Petra Levin Guest: Mark O. Martin Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 345: Faster Than Rocks! | 22 Nov 2025 | 00:53:31 | |
TWiM explains a biological mechanism that links sulfur and iron cycling in anoxic environments, and "swashing," a form of surface movement in which bacteria migrate without active propulsion. Hosts: Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson, and Petra Levin Guest: Mark O. Martin Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, RSS, or by email. Links for this episode
Become a Patron of TWiM! Music used on TWiM is by Ronald Jenkees. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 336: The Volatilome of Biofluids | 19 Jul 2025 | 00:55:38 | |
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:
Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 246: Intracellular niche and passage | 19 Jul 2021 | 00:56:43 | |
The TWiM folk explore disruption of a Burkholderia intracellular niche by a cell death program, and an increase in Brucella infectiousness after intracellular passage. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 245: Bacteria that protect bees from fungi | 03 Jul 2021 | 00:50:14 | |
In this episode, how polysaccharides keep cyanobacteria afloat in the oceans so that they can carry out photosynthesis, and a symbiotic bacterium that protects honey bees from fungal infections. Become a Patron of TWiM! Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 244: Chewing for chicha | 22 Jun 2021 | 00:56:49 | |
Foodie TWiM reveals that bacteria in human saliva are major components of Ecuadorian indigenous beers, and an unusual E. coli that produces atypical light cream-colored colonies in chromogenic agar. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 243: Beef and bacillus | 04 Jun 2021 | 00:51:42 | |
TWiM continues its food arc with an examination of the effect of peroxyacetic acid spray on the microbiome and sensory properties of beef, and explores asymmetry of the cell division machinery during sporulation. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 242: Sourdough Starter Microbiomes | 20 May 2021 | 00:54:26 | |
TWiM reveals the microbiome of sourdough starter cultures, and discovery of a novel family of prokaryotic nanocompartments involved in the metabolism of sulfur. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episodeMusic used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 241: What Does Flu Do to Your Poo? | 07 May 2021 | 01:04:01 | |
TWiM explains how Vibrio biofilms are dispersed by polyamine signals, and the induction of inappetence by respiratory virus infection which causes alteration of the gut microbiome. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 240: Aspirin, colorectal cancer, and Fusobacterium | 26 Apr 2021 | 01:01:19 | |
TWiM reviews aspirin modulation of Fusobacterium nucleatum, a microbe that has been associated with colorectal cancer, and Elio tells us 'What are vaccines', a talk he recently gave to members of his community. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 239: The Phoenix of Bacteria | 09 Apr 2021 | 00:53:57 | |
The TWiM team reviews how variants of P. aeruginosa survive antimicrobial treatment, and a decrease in the antimicrobial resistance of the gut microbiome in the presence of the fungus C. albicans. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 238: Parkinson's disease gut microbiome | 28 Mar 2021 | 00:56:53 | |
Elio reveals his thoughts on the big themes of modern microbiology, followed by an analysis of the gut microbiome in patients with Parkinson's disease. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 237: Ten years of TWiM, a quality quorum | 11 Mar 2021 | 01:05:01 | |
To celebrate ten years, TWiM asks former hosts and guests to provide their thoughts on how microbiology has contributed to our understanding of the microbial world. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 335: Slip Slidin' Away | 04 Jul 2025 | 00:50:25 | |
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:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 236: Gossamer wings and symbionts on the sea bottom | 20 Feb 2021 | 00:43:48 | |
In this episode, hiring and training expectations for future biomedical life sciences faculty, and the roles of bacterial symbionts in deep-sea hydrothermal vent tubeworms. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 235: Green algae and fatty acids | 05 Feb 2021 | 01:04:41 | |
In this episode, how DNA of giant viruses has contributed extensively to the genome of green algae, and inhibition of E. coli virulence by a metabolic product of arachidonic acid in the intestinal epithelium. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 234: Corkscrewing through snot | 21 Jan 2021 | 00:44:45 | |
The TWiM team reviews Salmonella colonization of three-dimensional miniature intestinal organs, and identification of a circadian clock in a non-photosynthetic prokaryote. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 233: Antivirals made by bacteria | 08 Jan 2021 | 00:53:13 | |
The TWiM team reviews the movie Jezebel, played against the background of the yellow fever epidemic of 1853 in New Orleans, and prokaryotic viperins, ancestors of the eukaryotic enzymes that synthesize antiviral molecules. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 232: Microbial nanowires | 24 Dec 2020 | 00:55:32 | |
TWiM explores the use of a bacterial protein to make highly conductive microbial nanowires, and how modulin proteins seed the formation of amyloid, a key component of S. aureus biofilms. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 231: It's a microbe-eat-microbe world | 10 Dec 2020 | 00:54:58 | |
Mark Martin returns to TWiM for a discussion of a predatory bacterium appropriately named Vampirococcus lugosii, and Elio reveals how bacteria can be used on the International Space Station to efficiently extract rare earth elements in microgravity. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 230: Ancient bacterial DNA | 27 Nov 2020 | 00:55:39 | |
In this episode of TWiM, control of Campylobacter in raw chicken by zinc oxide nanoparticles in packaging material, and Salmonella enterica genomes from a16th century epidemic in Mexico. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 229: Dirt is not simple | 05 Nov 2020 | 00:49:32 | |
In this episode of TWiM, the hidden biochemical diversity in soil-dwelling Actinobacteria that could lead to a second Golden Era of antibiotic discovery, and structures of glideosome components reveals the mechanism of gliding in apicomplexan parasites. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 228: Black in Microbiology with Ninecia Scott and Chelsey Spriggs | 23 Oct 2020 | 00:53:14 | |
Ninecia and Chelsey, two of the founders of Black in Microbiology, join TWiM to discuss the goals of the organization, then we reveal survival of Deinococcus bacteria for 3 years in space, an experiment that addresses the panspermia hypothesis for interplanetary transfer of life. Guests: Ninecia Scott and Chelsey Spriggs You can watch this episode at https://youtu.be/1o1hh0I4rio Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 227: The light and dark sides of the fungal world | 13 Oct 2020 | 00:48:11 | |
TWiM presents an episode for mycophiles: how bacteria disarm mushroom pathogens, and the role of the CARD9 protein in protective immunity against pulmonary cryptococcosis. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michael Schmidt and Michele Swanson Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 334: Fungal Smuggle | 20 Jun 2025 | 00:56:46 | |
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. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 226: Two microbes you might not know | 24 Sep 2020 | 01:09:59 | |
TWiM presents two unusual microorganisms, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, heard by Elio in an episode of Doc Martin, and Roseomonas mucosa, which is being used to treat atopic dermatitis. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 225: Lag phase is no slouch | 11 Sep 2020 | 01:03:00 | |
The TWiM team explores how delivery of an enzyme into competitor cells leads to synthesis of (p)ppApp, depletion of ATP, deregulation of metabolic pathways, and cell death, and a refinement of our typical view of bacterial lag phase as a period of nonreplication. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, and Michael Schmidt Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 224: One hundred million year old bacteria | 28 Aug 2020 | 01:15:03 | |
The TWiM team reveals the genetic mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls from sequencing of DNA, and 100 million year old living bacteria recovered from marine sediments. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michele Swanson and Michael Schmidt Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 223: The smell of soil | 15 Aug 2020 | 01:01:13 | |
The TWiMmers explore detection of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces in an ophthalmology examination room, the ability of stressed populations of Yersinia bacteria to survive antimicrobial treatment within host tissues, and how volatile organic chemicals produced by soil microbes attract arthropods which in turn disperse bacterial spores. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 222: Biosensors in bacteria | 30 Jul 2020 | 01:19:04 | |
Mark Martin joins TWiM to describe nano-sized parasitic bacteria that inhabit humans, and the construction of whole-cell biosensors for detecting arsenic in drinking water. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, and Michael Schmidt Guest: Mark O. Martin Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 221: Weapon of mucus destruction, WMD | 16 Jul 2020 | 01:08:47 | |
TWiM reveals a potential mucus-busting weapon for patients with cystic fibrosis, and bacteria in the intestinal tract that can oxidize cholesterol, leading to lower levels of the lipid in blood. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 220: From Mars to the vagina | 03 Jul 2020 | 00:43:14 | |
TWiM reveals that methane-producing bacteria might survive beneath the surface of Mars, and identification of a cytopathogenic toxin in a bacterium associated with preterm birth. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michele Swanson and Michael Schmidt Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 219: Commensal for a healthy skin | 19 Jun 2020 | 01:02:01 | |
The TWiM discusses eradicating racism in academia and STEM, and a peptide from commensal bacteria that protects skin from damage caused by MRSA Become a patron of TWiM Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 218: The lengths SARS-COV-2 will go | 06 Jun 2020 | 01:02:03 | |
The TWiM team explains how breathing can transmit SARS-CoV-2, and how lack of breathing leads to loss of mitochondria in a multicellular parasitic animal. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 217: The chronicles of narnaviruses | 22 May 2020 | 00:51:36 | |
The TWiM team explains an experimental vaccine to prevent E. coli urinary tract infections, and the remarkable three-way symbiosis of narnaviruses, bacteria, and fungi. Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
| |||
| 333: When Mutualists Murder | 07 Jun 2025 | 00:58:20 | |
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. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 216: It starts with a cough | 01 May 2020 | 01:03:35 | |
The TWiM team discuses saliva as more sensitive for SARS-CoV-2 detection in COVID-19 patients than nasopharyngeal swab and how Mycobacterium tuberculosis sulfolipid-1 activates nociceptive neurons and induces cough. Links for this episode:
Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 215: Cultural transformation and pathogen emergence | 17 Apr 2020 | 00:56:44 | |
A ferret model for infection by SARS-CoV-2, and how Neolithization lead to emergence of a human bacterial pathogen. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michele Swanson and Michael Schmidt Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv Become a patron of TWiM. | |||
| 214: Masterful subversion | 03 Apr 2020 | 00:58:37 | |
Vincent, Elio and Michael reveal the ASM COVID-19 summit, and how Salmonella injects a protein into the cell to drive suppression of the immune response.
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. | |||
| 213: Fugitive emissions | 20 Mar 2020 | 01:01:17 | |
Vincent, Elio and Michael discuss the stability of human coronaviruses on surfaces and in aerosols, and peptidoglycan production by a mosaic consisting of a bacterium within a bacterium within an insect. Links for this episode:
Become a patron of TWiM. Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 212: A coronavirus outbreak and IRF4 deficiency in Whipple's disease | 06 Feb 2020 | 00:55:26 | |
The TWiM team reviews the coronavirus outbreak that began in Wuhan, China, and the finding that an IRF deficiency underlies Whipple's disease.
Become a Patron of TWiM! Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 211: Bacteria, colon cancer and fire blight | 09 Jan 2020 | 01:18:11 | |
The Fellowship of the TWiM reveal that colorectal cancer-associated microbiota are associated with higher numbers of methylated genes in colonic mucosa, and identification of metabolites needed by the fire blight disease bacterium for virulence in apples. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 210: The Waze of microbes | 05 Dec 2019 | 01:16:24 | |
The Microbial Comrades present the oldest osteosynthesis in history, and how a small molecule produced by stressed bacteria is a warning signal that repels healthy populations to promote their survival. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michele Swanson and Michael Schmidt Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 209: Resuscitating persisters and flagellotrophic phage | 14 Nov 2019 | 00:58:18 | |
The TWiM team reveals how ribosome modification resuscitates bacterial persister cells, and explain how a phage tail fiber protein exploits rotation of flagella to move towards the cell membrane. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 208: Georgia Tech microbial | 31 Oct 2019 | 01:22:50 | |
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michele Swanson and Michael Schmidt Guests: Deanna Beatty, Mark Hay, Gina Lewin, Frank Stewart, and Marvin Whiteley At Georgia Tech, members and trainees of the Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection discuss the identification of pathogen essential genes during coinfections, and how coral management can improve coral defenses against pathogens. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv
| |||
| 207: Partnerships to Advance Public Health | 17 Oct 2019 | 01:07:27 | |
From ASM Microbe 2019 in San Francisco, Vincent speaks with Victoria McGovern, Carl Nathan, and Dan Portnoy about advancing human health through innovative collaborations. Host: Vincent Racaniello Guests: Victoria McGovern, Carl Nathan, and Dan Portnoy Links for this episode:
Become a Patron of TWiM! Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 332: Fibromyalgia Pain and the Gut Microbiome | 23 May 2025 | 01:03:00 | |
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. Links for this episode
Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 206: Bacteria send nucleotide signals | 03 Oct 2019 | 01:05:17 | |
The TWiM holobionts pay tribute to Stuart Levy, and reveal the remarkably diverse array of cyclic nucleotides synthesized by bacteria that likely mediate interactions with animal and plant hosts. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode:
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 205: Asgards meet the Tardigrades | 20 Sep 2019 | 01:07:23 | |
The tetracoccal TWiM team visits Tardigrades on the Moon, and the twelve year quest to isolate an archaeon that provides insights into the emergence of the first eukaryotic cell. Links for this episode:
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! Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||
| 204: Programmable bacteria for antitumor immunity | 06 Sep 2019 | 01:07:46 | |
Host: Vincent Racaniello Guests: Nicholas Arpaia and Tal Danino Vincent meets up with Nick and Tal to explain how they engineered E. coli to lyse within tumors and deliver an antibody that causes tumor regression in mice. Links for this episode:
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! Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv | |||