BacterioFiles 290 - Lichens' Little Lodgers

Lichens on rock near Las Vegas, NV

I'm back! This episode: Lichens, long known to be a partnership between fungi and algae, now discovered to have an important third member!

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Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Spribille T, Tuovinen V, Resl P, Vanderpool D, Wolinski H, Aime MC, Schneider K, Stabentheiner E, Toome-Heller M, Thor G, Mayrhofer H, Johannesson H, McCutcheon JP. 2016. Basidiomycete yeasts in the cortex of ascomycete macrolichens. Science 353:488–492.

Other interesting stories:

Some protists like to eat archaea (paper)

Bee bacteria can break down harmful sugars in bee food (paper)

Testing how best to use mosquito bacteria to block virus transmission (paper)

Studying Inuit gut microbes

Temperature affects Wolbachia health in mosquitoes (paper)

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

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Short Break

I'm putting the show on pause again for a short while, because I'm too busy with other things for the moment. But it'll be back soon with more exciting stories!

BacterioFiles Special - Novozymes' Nathan Cude

This episode: An interview with Dr. Nathan Cude, team leader at Novozymes BioAg Alliance, working on finding and bringing to market soil microbes that can help crops grow!

Download Episode (14.1 MB, 15.4 minutes)

Show notes:
Novozymes
BioAg Alliance
Nathan Cude on Twitter and LinkedIn

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

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook.

BacterioFiles 289 - Prehistoric Paired Prokaryote Partners

This episode: Great apes' specific gut microbe communities have been with us for millions of years!

Download Episode (9.1 MB, 10 minutes)

Show notes:
News item 1/News item 2

Journal Paper:
Moeller AH, Caro-Quintero A, Mjungu D, Georgiev AV, Lonsdorf EV, Muller MN, Pusey AE, Peeters M, Hahn BH, Ochman H. 2016. Cospeciation of gut microbiota with hominids. Science 353:380–382.

Other interesting stories:

Gut bacteria could help treat kidney disease (paper)

Virus that infects viruses acts as genomic antiviral defense for host

Microbial archaeology studies bacteria resistant to copper in medieval foundry (paper)

Bacteria embedded in porous stones make good water filters (paper)

Computers can use microbes to estimate time of death

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

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook.

BacterioFiles 288 - Caulobacter's Copper Coping Capabilities

Caulobacter crescentus

This episode: Some bacterial species use multiple strategies within a single population to deal with environmental challenges!

Download Episode (8.9 MB, 9.7 minutes)

Show notes:
Journal Paper:
Lawarée E, Gillet S, Louis G, Tilquin F, Blastier SL, Cambier P, Matroule J-Y. 2016. Caulobacter crescentus intrinsic dimorphism provides a prompt bimodal response to copper stress. Nat Microbiol 1:16098.

Other interesting stories:

Bacteria help starved, developing rats get more nutrition from the same food (paper)

Creating gut microbe communities to resist pathogens (paper)

Predatory bacteria can treat infections in zebrafish larvae

Nitrogen is an important element for feeding the gut community

Bacterial enzymes artificially evolved to make carbon-silicon compounds

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

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook.

BacterioFiles 287 - Producing Potent Pathogen Prophylaxes

Streptococcus pneumoniae
Credit: CDC/M.S. Mitchell

This episode: Polymer-coated bacteria make really good vaccines!

Download Episode (9.2 MB, 10 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Li Y, Beitelshees M, Fang L, Hill A, Ahmadi MK, Chen M, Davidson BA, Knight P, Smith RJ, Andreadis ST, Hakansson AP, Jones CH, Pfeifer BA. 2016. In situ pneumococcal vaccine production and delivery through a hybrid biological-biomaterial vector. Sci Adv 2:e1600264.

Other interesting stories:

Fiber stops microbes from eating protective gut mucus

Potential new antibiotics predicted and discovered in human microbes

Bacteria communicate to work together against viruses

Root bacteria help protect plants against arsenic and infections

Fungus helps plants defend themselves against roundworms

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

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook.

BacterioFiles 286 - Prokaryote Prevents Pregnancy Pathogen

This episode: Bacteria in mosquito cells can block transmission of Zika virus!

Download Episode (8.1 MB, 8.9 minutes)

Show notes:
News item

Journal Paper:
Aliota MT, Peinado SA, Velez ID, Osorio JE. 2016. The wMel strain of Wolbachia Reduces Transmission of Zika virus by Aedes aegypti. Sci Rep 6:28792.

Other interesting stories:

Modified bacteria change behavior as temperature changes

Ants' bacteria produce antifungal compounds (paper)

Gut microbes may be related to macular degeneration

E. coli could be used to make vaccines (paper)

Using bacteria to produce testosterone (paper)

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

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook.