This Week in Microbiology

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.

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.


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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]

TWiM explains how mechano-bactericidal surfaces made from diverse materials and patterned with spikes kill bacteria on contact, and virus-host evolution is reshaped by microgravity aboard the International Space Station.
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Links for this episode:


Mechano-Bactericidal Surfaces (Adv Sci)

Piercing pathogens (ASM)

Natural bactericidal surfaces (Small)

Virus-host evolution in microgravity (PLoS Biol)



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 explains the finding that owning a dog during adolescence alters the microbiota and improves mental health, and the molecular basis for multidrug efflux by an anaerobic-associated resistance-nodulation-cell division transporter.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Petra Levin.
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Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Links for this episode
Dog ownership and the microbiome during adolescence (iScience)
Molecular basis for multidrug efflux (Nat Comm)
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Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or recorded audio) to [email protected]

TWiM explains how S. aureus pathogenicity is a dynamic, niche-specific choreography that constantly recalibrates in response to the host microenvironment, and short chain fatty acids produced by commensal microbiota reduces its competitive fitness.
 
Hosts: Michael Schmidt, Michele Swanson and Petra Levin.

Guest: Mark O. Martin
 
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Links for this episode:


Niche-specific fitness of S. aureus at the wound edge (Nat Comm)

Commensal derived short chain fatty acids attenuate S. aureus (mBio)

Ditch the term pathogen (Nature)


 
Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
Send your microbiology questions and comments to [email protected]