Shows
This Week in MicrobiologyFaster than rocks!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 Sulfur and iron cycling in anoxic environments (Nature) Bacterial surface migration by swashing (J Bacteriol) Become a Patron of TWiM! Music used on TWiM is by Ronald Jenkees. Send your microbiology...
2025-11-2253 minThis Week in MicrobiologyAnt Yogurt and Fine Chocolate TWiM reveals the bacteria, acids, and enzymes behind yogurt made with ants, and a defined set of microbes that reproduces attributes of fine flavor chocolate fermentation Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Petra Levin Guest: Mark O. Martin Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Making yogurt with ants (iScience) The Alchemist Restaurant How to make classic tuiles (MasterClass)
2025-11-081h 06
Matters MicrobialBacterial Size, Stress, and Antibiotic Resistance Matters Microbial #112: Bacterial Size, Stress, and Antibiotic Resistance October 17, 2025 Today Dr. Petra Levin, the George and Irene Freiberg Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss her work with bacterial cell size, environmental stress on bacteria, and antibiotic resistance. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Petra Levin Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode An overview of the periplasm, found in Gram negative bacteria. An overview of beta-lactam antibiotics. The field of quantitative microbiology. An overview...
2025-10-171h 04This Week in MicrobiologyMissing the Company of ElioTWiM pays tribute to Elio Schaechter, former TWiM host, blogger, and microbiologist extraordinaire, then reviews the finding that Archaea produce peptidoglycan hydrolases that kill bacteria - a form of competition. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson 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. Links for this episode Elio Schaechter (Wikipedia) Elio Schaechter Funeral Service (video) Archaea produce peptidoglycan hydrolases that kill bacteria (PLoS Biol) Take the TWiM L...
2025-08-2959 minThis Week in MicrobiologyLifestyles of the Plasmids TWiM explains a study that examines pathogen presence in ancient humans and concludes that zoonoses emerged 6500 years ago with the domestication of livestock, and determination of universal rules that govern plasmid copy number. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson, and Petra Levin Guests: Mark O. Martin Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode: Human pathogens in ancient Eurasia (Nature) What once ailed us (NY Times) Rules of plasmid copy number (Nature Comm)
2025-07-311h 04This Week in MicrobiologyRadar Love in BacteriaTWiM 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. Links for this episode 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 a...
2025-04-2646 minThis Week in MicrobiologyHow To Pick a WinnerTWiM explains how bacterial community structure can be used to predict athletic performance in racehorses, and the idea that a tiny fraction of all species forms most of Nature. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Mark O. Martin. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Microbiome picks a winner (Sci Rep) Picking a Winner by Reading the Form Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes by Stephen Jay Gould How much does it cost to breed a horse? Date of birth and purchase price as foals or yearlings and race...
2024-09-281h 07This Week in MicrobiologyLiving in a Community WorldTWiM reviews a case of E. faecium bacteremia treated with combination bacteriophage and antibiotic therapy, and how dopamine receptor D2 confers colonization resistance via microbial metabolites. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Michele Swanson. Guest: Mark O. Martin Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Matters Microbial Distinct Fusobacterium dominates colorectal cancer (Nature) Bacterial subspecies that might drive colon cancer (Nature) A bacterial strain linked to colon cancer (Nature) Spatial perspective on bacteria in tumors (Nature) Colorectal cancer in the young (Yale Med) Surface colonization by...
2024-04-131h 07This Week in MicrobiologyBiogeography of Tectonics and TeethTWiM explains how photoferrotrophic bacteria initiated plate tectonics over 2500 million years ago, and how two bacteria work together to cause childhood tooth decay. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson, Petra Levin, Guest: Mark O. Martin Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Bacteria initiated plate tectonics (Geophys Res Lett) Medea hypothesis (Sci Am) Earth's ferrous wheel (Nature) The Great Dying (Nova) The Great Oxidation Event (ASM) Banded iron formations (EarthSphere...
2023-07-291h 01This Week in MicrobiologyAt-home evolution with yeastTWiM presents a protocol for evolving caffeine-tolerant yeast by high school students in the home, and how predator-prey dynamics change when multiple bacteria grow together in biofilms. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson, Petra Levin. Guest: Mark O. Martin Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Caffeine-tolerant yeast selected at home (microPub Biology) yEvo Lab Vision and change in undergraduate biology (NAS) CURE in a box (JMBE) EvolvingStem EvolvingStem: Evolution-in-action...
2023-03-1054 minThis Week in MicrobiologyBacterial Multicellularity Near An Underground StreamTWiM presents evidence that over half of human pathogenic diseases are impacted by climate change, and considers how a novel prokaryote discovered next to an underground stream illuminates the pathway to multicellularity. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin and Mark Martin. Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Climate change and pathogenic diseases (Nat Climate Change) Impacts of climate change on human diseases (MoraLAB) Cave bacteria illuminate pathway to multicellularity (eLife) Commentary on novel cave bacteria (eLife) Karst landscapes (National Park Service) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Music u...
2022-11-241h 06This Week in MicrobiologyBacterial Endosymbionts Block Giant VirusesMark Martin returns to TWiM to join the discussion of how to design a complex gut microbiome, and protection of protists from virus infection by intracellular bacterial symbionts. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson, and Petra Levin Become a patron of TWiM. Links for this episode Design of a complex gut microbiome (Cell) Defensive symbiosis against giant viruses (PNAS) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Music by Ronald Jenkees. Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv
2022-10-2157 min