BacterioFiles 280 - Saccharomyces Smash Small Spaces

This episode: Microbes in tight spaces grow so much they can build up pressure and burst out!
Download Episode (5.5 MB, 6 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Video: cells expanding walls of chamber
Video: cells squished together
Video: cells bursting out of chamber

Journal Paper:
Delarue M, Hartung J, Schreck C, Gniewek P, Hu L, Herminghaus S, Hallatschek O. 2016. Self-driven jamming in growing microbial populations. Nat Phys 12:762–766.

Other interesting stories:

Fungi can infect and kill mosquito larvae

Buildings could enhance our encountering beneficial microbes

Bacteria could generate micro amounts of power

Microbes could help improve food supply (paper)

Modified E. coli can produce more useful fuels, chemicals

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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BacterioFiles 279 - Hijacker Heightened Hyphal Heterogeneity

Spore-forming fungus

This episode: Fungi control their cell's growth and division with a protein from a virus, unlike all other kinds of eukaryote!
Download Episode (8.9 MB, 9.75 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Medina EM, Turner JJ, Gordân R, Skotheim JM, Buchler NE. 2016. Punctuated evolution and transitional hybrid network in an ancestral cell cycle of fungi. eLife 5:e09492.

Other interesting stories:

Certain starch may help improve gut community

Gut bacteria could control insect pests

Pathogen produces anti-microbial compounds (paper)

Phage feeds on host bacterium's RNA

Studying tiny archaea from Yellowstone

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play, support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter, or Facebook