This Week in Microbiology

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.

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Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.

Links for this episode

• 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)
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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.

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Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.

Links for this episode

• Pasteur’s hunt for microbes in the air (NYTimes)
• Bacterial predation by ixotrophy (Science)
• Enter the pirates (STC)
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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.

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Become a patron of TWiM.

Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.

Links for this episode

• 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)
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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.

Links for this episode

• Worm microbiomes produce crytoprotective proteins (Sci Adv)
• Biological antifreeze in Antarctic fishes (Sciece)
• Enhancement of bacterial ice nucleators (PNAS)
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Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]