
Advertise on podcast: This Week in Microbiology
Rating
4.8from
This podcast has
365 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Vincent RacanielloExplicit
No
Date created
2011/02/23
Latest episode
2026/09/26
Average duration
55 min.
Release period
17 days
Description
This Week in Microbiology is a podcast about unseen life on Earth hosted by Vincent Racaniello and friends. Following in the path of his successful shows 'This Week in Virology' (TWiV) and 'This Week in Parasitism' (TWiP), Racaniello and guests produce an informal yet informative conversation about microbes which is accessible to everyone, no matter what their science background.
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Podcast episodes
Check latest episodes from This Week in Microbiology podcast
DNA Damage as Defense Against Bee Pathogens
2026/09/26
TWiM wonders why archaea are not pathogenic, and reveals how a colibactin produced by a honeybee gut symbiont defends against pathogens.
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Links for this episode:
Why are archaea not pathogenic? (mBio)
Archaeal viruses (Archaea)
Colibactin made in honeybee gut (Nat Micro)
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
Why Vegetables Are Good for Your Heart
2026/09/12
TWiM explains the finding that Bunsen burners do not decrease deposition of microbe-containing particles, and how gut microbiota generate dinitrosyl iron complexes with cardiometabolic benefits.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Michael Schmidt
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode:
Bunsen burners don't do what you thought they did (Micro Spectrum)
How does air circulate in passenger planes? | AFP
How germs travel on planes | Raymond Wang
Gut bacteria and cardiometabolic health (Cell)
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
When Gut Bacteria Share Chromosomes
2026/08/29
TWiM explains how movement of DNA among gut bacteria drive large-scale genome mosaicism, and validation of a method for detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in outbreak-linked fresh produce.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson, and Petra Levin
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode:
Natural DNA transformation in the gut (ISME J)
The transformation factor (J Exp Med)
Validating cyclospora assay (J Food Prot)
Cyclosporiasis (CDC)
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
Bacteria and Colon Cancer Recurrence
2026/08/14
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
Become a patron of TWiM.
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.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
Take the TWiM Survey
Nitrogen Fixation Goes Eukaryotic
2026/07/31
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
Become a patron of TWiM.
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) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]
Kin Killing and Metal Hunger
2026/07/18
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 [email protected]
Gut Microbes and ALS
2026/07/04
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.
Become a patron of TWiM.
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 [email protected]
Remembering Elio at Tufts
2026/06/15
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
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RSS, or by email.
Become a Patron of TWiM!
Music used on TWiM is by Ronald Jenkees.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
Nanopore to the bone
2026/05/28
TWiM explains how Streptococcus mitis bacteriocins drive contact-dependent lysis of S. pneumoniae facilitating transformation, and microbial dominance in diabetic foot osteomyelitis determined with nanopore sequencing.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Michele Swanson
Subscribe to TWiM (free) on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RSS, or by email.
Links for this episode Streptococcus mitis bacteriocins drive contact-dependent lysis of S. pneumoniae (mBio) Microbial dominance in diabetic foot osteomyelitis determined with nanopore sequencing (J Inf Dis) Diabetic foot ulcer review (World J Clin Cases) How nanopore sequencing works (YouTube) Become a Patron of TWiM!
Music used on TWiM is by Ronald Jenkees.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
Bacteria Complete Your tRNA
2026/05/09
TWiM explains how an enhanced domestication method allows for growth of uncultured bacteria, and identification of the oncogene SLC35F2 as is a high-specificity transporter for the micronutrients queuine and queuosine.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, and Michele Swanson.
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 Domestication method for uncultured bacteria (ISME Comm) Transporter for the micronutrients queuine and queuosine (PNAS) How diet and microbiome can impact your health (UF blog) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]
How a Gut Microbe Worsens Heart Disease
2026/04/24
TWiM explains a candidate signature of health in the gut microbial community, and how an intestinal bacterium exacerbates cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Petra Levin.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Links for this episode A candidate signature of health in the gut microbiome (Cell Host Microbe) 204,938 reference genomes from the human gut microbiome (Nat Biotech) A human gut metagenome-assembled genome catalogue spanning 41 countries (Nat Micro) A comprehensive ruminant microbial catalog (Gigascience) Bacteroides acidifaciens exacerbates cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury (Cell Host Microbe) The Great Ozempic Experiment (NY Times, paywall) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]
Microbial Metabolism of Food Allergens
2026/04/11
TWiM explains how to use microbes to enhance maize yield and reduce corn rootworm damage, and how the human microbiota modulates IgE-mediated reactions to foods through allergen metabolism.
Hosts: Michael Schmidt, Petra Levin, and Michele Swanson.
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 Harnessing Microbes for Crop Production (Phytobiome J) Microbes take on corn rootworm (Science) Microbial metabolism of food allergens (Cell Host Microbe) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]
Microbial Gut Biosensors
2026/03/28
TWiM reveals the archaeal roots of eukaryotic life, and a building a gut malabsorption biosensor with bacteria.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Links for this episode The archaeal roots of eukaryotic life (PNAS) Building a malabsorption biosensor (Cell) Engineering gut biosensors with microbes (Nature) Take the TWiM Listener survey! Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]
Resistance Reboot
2026/03/06
TWiM discusses the use of bacteriophage-loaded microneedle patches for targeted and minimally disruptive foodborne pathogen decontamination, and a conjugal gene drive-like system that efficiently suppresses antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode:
Bacteriophage-loaded microneedle patches for food (Sci Adv)
Gene drive to suppress antibiotic resistance (npj antimicrob and resistance)
CRISPR gene drives (Syntego)
Bier laboratory
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
TWiM Goes to College
2026/02/14
Nancy and Maggie join TWiM to share how and why they created a freely available ebook of TWiM-based science literacy resources and classroom exercises that support teaching across key microbiology and molecular biology topics.
Become a patron of TWiM.
Links for this episode:
Podcast annotation and resources in microbiology (Iowa State U)
Curriculum guidelines for undergraduate microbiology (ASM)
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]
Podcast reviews
Read This Week in Microbiology podcast reviews
Iris Cummings 2026/09/14
Love what you all do!
As someone who has a masters of science degree in microbiology and cell science, this is right up my alley. 😁
Micro snipits 2026/06/03
Noice
Very smart people nice snip-its
Go sporkful 2025/10/04
Amazing!
It’s amazing I’ve learned a lot!
James Tebow 2025/01/23
Avoid
I’ve listened to hours of these guys and ladies. Always the same subject. Same criticism. Billie’s. Big pharmaceutical Paxlovid whores. Avoid if ...
EvelynDevelyn 2022/05/13
Amazing. 10/10.
I’m a high schooler who hasn’t really had the chance to make any microbiology classes, but this makes me want to go into the field. Comprehensive enou...
ebkp 2021/01/09
Journal club reimagined
I always think that if this had been what journal club was like, it would have been a lot more fun. Just talking through good papers and good science ...
Mark4732783 2020/10/30
Great podcast very informative!
This is a 10/10 as well as all the podcasts made by the same host, highly recommend.
in_log_phase 2020/08/22
The best microbiology podcast
I love this podcast and have been listening for years. I appreciate the vast scope of microbiology that is covered as well as the integration of curre...
Mantis79 2020/07/01
Politics ;(
You just can’t escape politics even here, stop it already! I just want to listen about biology.
nuhsawn 2020/02/09
Great lessons
I learn so much from TWIM. Microbiomes are made practically huge, to my scope of conceptual perception. I’m glad y’all enlarge my view on science
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