BacterioFiles 267 - Crust Color Cooks Communities

Biocrusts in Moab, Utah
Credit: Estelle Couradeau

This episode: Cyanobacteria in biocrusts produce pigments that heat their surroundings up to 10 degrees hotter!
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Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Couradeau E, Karaoz U, Lim HC, Nunes da Rocha U, Northen T, Brodie E, Garcia-Pichel F. 2016. Bacteria increase arid-land soil surface temperature through the production of sunscreens. Nat Commun 7:10373.

Other interesting stories:

Engineering better bioplastic production from bacteria

Groups of bacteria can show a kind of memory

Bacteria in gut are competing and killing each other a lot

Exercise helps mice gut health, regardless of weight (paper)

Bacteria help insects tolerate cabbage toxin

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BacterioFiles 266 - Solar Cyborg Cells Capture Carbon

Cells of Moorella thermoacetica
forming spores in culture

This episode: Adding exotic elements to convert spore-forming bacteria into light-capturing cyborgs that convert carbon dioxide into useful chemicals!
Download Episode (9.7 MB, 10.5 minutes)

Show notes:
News item 1/News item 2

Journal Paper:
Sakimoto KK, Wong AB, Yang P. 2016. Self-photosensitization of nonphotosynthetic bacteria for solar-to-chemical production. Science 351:74–77.

Other interesting stories:

Unusual archaeal virus sorta looks like Ebola (paper)

Understanding how probiotics could prevent cancer in mice (paper)

Giant viruses have immune system against virophages

Using evolution to help yeast produce more ethanol from biomass (paper)

Remnants of viruses in our DNA helps us fight off infections

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

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BacterioFiles 265 - Predator Protein Protects Predator

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus
attacking prey bacterium

This episode: Predatory bacteria have a particular protein that protects them from their own prey-damaging enzymes!
Download Episode (7.3 MB, 7.9 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Lambert C, Cadby IT, Till R, Bui NK, Lerner TR, Hughes WS, Lee DJ, Alderwick LJ, Vollmer W, Sockett RE, Lovering AL. 2015. Ankyrin-mediated self-protection during cell invasion by the bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Nat Commun 6:8884.

Other interesting stories:

Bacterial proteins could be used to break open cells upon command

Animal gut fungi could break down plant material for biofuels

Fungal partners help determine which trees can grow in a forest

Parasitic fungi contribute to ocean algae turnover (paper)

Fungus in tree inhibits other fungi and plants (paper)

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

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BacterioFiles 264 - Small Cells Stimulate Satiety

This episode: Proteins from gut bacteria seems to affect hunger and satiety in their (rodent) hosts!
Download Episode (7.7 MB, 8.3 minutes)

Show notes:
News item 1/News item 2

Journal Paper:
Breton J, Tennoune N, Lucas N, Francois M, Legrand R, Jacquemot J, Goichon A, Guérin C, Peltier J, Pestel-Caron M, Chan P, Vaudry D, do Rego J-C, Liénard F, Pénicaud L, Fioramonti X, Ebenezer IS, Hökfelt T, Déchelotte P, Fetissov SO. 2016. Gut Commensal E. coli Proteins Activate Host Satiety Pathways following Nutrient-Induced Bacterial Growth. Cell Metab 23:324–334.

Other interesting stories:

Now even bacteria could make opiates

Soil bacteria slime could help make wound dressings

CRISPRs targeting phage RNA instead of DNA can have some benefits for cells

Engineering biotech pathways for better processes

Bacteria can produce antimicrobial silver nanoparticles (paper)

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

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BacterioFiles 263 - Germ Jettisoned Jellyfish Genes

This episode: Microscopic parasites of fish and worms actually came from jellyfish-like animals, after losing most of their genome!
Download Episode (7.7 MB, 8.3 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Chang ES, Neuhof M, Rubinstein ND, Diamant A, Philippe H, Huchon D, Cartwright P. 2015. Genomic insights into the evolutionary origin of Myxozoa within Cnidaria. Proc Natl Acad Sci 112:14912–14917.

Other interesting stories:

Deodorant use affects armpit microbes

Mammals like dolphins have ocean-influenced microbe communities (paper)

Relatively few bacteria may have immune systems (paper)

Diatoms are attracted to silica minerals

Interesting interactions with bear microbes and hibernation

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

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BacterioFiles 262 - Pathogen Polyketide Protects and Punishes

This episode: Clostridium bacteria that infect potatoes can both kill competitors and tolerate oxygen, thanks to the pink compounds they produce!
Download Episode (12.4 MB, 13.5 minutes)

Show notes:
Journal Paper:
Shabuer G, Ishida K, Pidot SJ, Roth M, Dahse H-M, Hertweck C. 2015. Plant pathogenic anaerobic bacteria use aromatic polyketides to access aerobic territory. Science 350:670–674.

Other interesting stories:

Soil bacteria protect themselves from amoeba with chemical defense (paper)

Understanding how probiotics could help fight rotavirus infection (paper)

Bacteria help defend ants from fungi (paper)

Modifying useful biofuel yeast with CRISPRs

Fungi could make useful adhesives (paper)

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

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BacterioFiles 261 - Pilfered Parasitoid Proteins Protect Prey

© IRBI-CNRS, Corentin Drezen

This episode: Viruses domesticated by parasitoid wasps have transferred wasp genes to caterpillar victims, allowing them to survive deadly infections from other viruses! This means that Monarch butterflies are effectively naturally Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Download Episode (13.8 MB, 15 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Gasmi L, Boulain H, Gauthier J, Hua-Van A, Musset K, Jakubowska AK, Aury J-M, Volkoff A-N, Huguet E, Herrero S, Drezen J-M. 2015. Recurrent Domestication by Lepidoptera of Genes from Their Parasites Mediated by Bracoviruses. PLOS Genet 11:e1005470.

Other interesting stories:

Similar math can describe electrons flowing and bacteria swimming

Natural plant bacteria can control corn pathogen (paper)

CO₂ in oceans makes them acidic, bacteria less able to recycle dead material

Making wood better for biofuel affects community of plant microbes

A place on Earth where even microbes might not live

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

Subscribe at iTunes, check out the show at Twitter, MicrobeWorld, or Facebook