This Week in Microbiology

TWiM explains the discovery of an avirulent bacterial signature associated with the development of recurrence following colorectal cancer surgery, and phage-derived proteins and conjugates that induce pilus detachment.
Hosts:  Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Petra Levin
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Links for this episode:
Bacterial signature is associated with colon cancer recurrence (Nat Comm)

Phage-derived proteins induce pilus detachment (J Bact)

Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
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TWiM explains major implications of the link between plastic pollution and antimicrobial resistance, and the discovery of a new organelle, the nitrogen-fixing nitroplast.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, 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
Plastic pollution and antimicrobial resistance (Appl Envir Micro)
The great Pacific garbage patch (YouTube)
Rumen microbiome (Nat Biotech)
Nitrogen-fixing organelle in marine alga (Science)
This cell just changed biology (YouTube)
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Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to twim@microbe.tv

TWiM explains how cannibalism shapes biofilm structure and composition in Bacillus subtilis, and the importance of manganese uptake in uropathogenic E. coli during urinary tract infection.
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Links for this episode:


Cannibalism shapes biofilm structure (mBio)

Manganese and uropathogenic E. coli (mBio)

Regulation of Bacterial MntH Genes (NLM Bookshelf)



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

TWiM explains the connection between inflammation caused by microbial glycogen in the gut and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and how disruption of cysteine metabolism leads to synthetic lethality and in vivo fitness impairment in Acinetobacter baumannii.


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Links for this episode:


Myeloid cell gene prevents inflammatory response to microbial glycogen (Cell Rep)

Cysteine metabolism and fitness impairment in Acinetobacter baumannii (mBio)



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

TWiM visits Tufts University School of Medcine and are joined by John Coffin, Michael Malamy, and Verna Manni for a tribute to Elio Schaechter who was chair of Molecular Biology and Microbiology for 23 years.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson, and Petra Levin
Guests: John Coffin, Michael Malamy, and Verna Manni
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Become a Patron of TWiM!
Music used on TWiM is by Ronald Jenkees.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv