BacterioFiles 156 - Killing Chemicals Cancel Chemotherapy Quality

This episode: Gut bacteria seem to be important for different kinds of anti-cancer chemotherapy treatments!

Download Episode (9.4 MB, 10.25 minutes)

Show notes:
News item/Journal Paper

Other interesting stories:

**Working off bacteria's own toxins could help develop new antibiotics
**Gut bacteria may (perhaps) affect more of the body than just the gut
**Soil microbe discovered that could protect plants from insect pests (paper)
**Using bacterial immune system to modify fruit flies' genome (paper)
**Humans today seem to have viruses from Neandertals in our genomes

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

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This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

BacterioFiles Micro Edition 155 - Cells Save Superannuated Sequences

This episode: Bacteria are able to incorporate DNA from the environment into their genomes, even if it's thousands of years old!

Download Episode (9.6 MB, 10.5 minutes)

Show notes:
News item/Journal Paper

Other interesting stories:

**Printing bacteria in 3D could enhance their cooperative abilities (paper)
**Viruses could be used to help shape nanowires in better batteries
**Butyrate-producing gut bacteria help regulate the gut immune system
**Rainforest bacteria break down the toughest parts of plants
**Lab bacteria seem to continue evolving higher fitness indefinitely

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

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This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

BacterioFiles Micro Edition 154 - Improving Integration in Inherited Illness

This episode: Scientists figure out how to improve retroviral targeting in the genome, to make gene therapy safer!

Download Episode (6.9 MB, 7.5 minutes)

Show notes:
News item/Journal Paper

Other interesting stories:

**Infants may be more susceptible to infection because their immune system is focusing on allowing good bacteria to grow in their gut
**Ascetic new microbe found in spacecraft clean rooms
**Scientist wins fellowship for work on trying to preserve good bacteria
**Improving a virus's ability to target and destroy cancer
**Soil fungus may reduce numbers of ticks

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

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

BacterioFiles Micro Edition 153 - Social Swarmers Synchronize Cell Systems

This episode: Bacteria that swarm in the soil cooperate or compete based on one particular protein structure!

Download Episode (10.5 MB, 11.5 minutes)

Show notes:
News item/Journal Paper

Other interesting stories:

**Special bacteria could help make better-tasting rice vinegar (paper)
**Soil microbes may be essential for health of an ecosystem
**Fungi in compost actually degrade polyester somewhat (paper)
**Excellent FAQ about the human microbiome
**Bacteria in soil can inhibit diseases of wheat (paper)

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

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

BacterioFiles Micro Edition 152 - Scientists Subjugate Circadian Cycles

This episode: Circadian rhythms in bacteria are amazingly simple, and now scientists have figured out how to modify their effects to help produce useful chemicals!

Download Episode (11.2 MB, 12.25 minutes)

Show notes:
News item/Journal Paper

Other interesting stories:

**Possible association between some of your genes and your gut bacteria
**Bacteria could help get more copper from mines
**Feeding soil microbes is important (PDF)
**Developing engineered biotech bacteria that can sense and respond better to toxic metabolites
**Bacteria use energy-sucking proteins to form ice crystals that punch entry holes into plants

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

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This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.

What if every virus in the world were collected into one area?

I always enjoy the webcomic XKCD's "What-Ifs" but this one was especially relevant so I wanted to share.

Pile of Viruses

There are LOTS of viruses.
(P.S. Don't forget to hold your mouse over the illustrations to see the alt text.)

BacterioFiles Micro Edition 151 - Morels Make Microbial Meals

This episode: Fungi herd and raise bacteria for slaughter!

* indicates bacterial inoculation
Arrow indicates sclerotia formations

Download Episode (13.2 MB, 14.4 minutes)

Show notes:
News item/Journal Paper

Other interesting stories:

**Phages could specifically kill C. difficile
**Using evolution to make big changes in bacterial genomes
**Comparing strains of herpes confirms out-of-Africa human history
**Types of bacteria in mouth could distinguish between ethnicities or even individuals
**Microbiome transplant could be helpful for plants too (paper)

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

This show features music from Mevio's podsafe Music Alley.