Small Things Considered

Dandruff-Causing Skin Fungi Discovered Unexpectedly in Deep Sea Vents, Antarctica

by Jennifer Frazer | Until relatively recently, the fungus Malassezia was thought to have one favorite home: us. As the dominant fungus on human skin and sometimes-cause of dandruff, the yeast Malassezia was thought to live a simple if sometimes irritating domestic existence humbly mooching off the oils we exude. No more. Thanks to the efforts... Read more →

Self-Assembly For Me

by Elio | I have the grating feeling that the subject of self-assembly of complex biological structures may not always amass the level of respect it deserves. I reckon that its importance is generally appreciated but, as topics go, it tends at times to be set aside. Yet, this is one of the most magnificent aspects of biology, one that... Read more →

Watch This Week in Virology Episode 300 Live from ASM HQ tonight at 7 pm ET

This Week in Virology, the podcast about viruses, celebrates its 300th episode on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 with a live recording at the Washington, DC headquarters of the American Society for Microbiology. This special episode will be part of the ‘Microbes after Hours’ series, and will feature the TWiV hosts Read more →

The Curious Case of a Protein and a Pilus

by Monika Buczek | If you’re like me, every morning you reluctantly roll out of bed and automatically reach for your toothbrush. One of the earliest learned practices of personal hygiene, brushing surely serves more than just preventing daybreak halitosis- but have you ever pondered about the plaque you try to dislodge from your… Read more →

Precision of Cell Division (Talmudic Question #112.2)

by Conrad Woldringh | In Talmudic Question #112, the question was asked: "Many, perhaps most bacteria, divide into daughter cells of almost precisely the same size. Why is that?" An answer may be found when measuring the precision of cell division as a function of cell shape. The precision of cell division is given… Read more →

TWiM #85: Oscillation in the Ocean and a Verona Integron

Vincent, Elio, Michael, and Michele discuss the diel transcriptional rhythms of bacterioplankton communities in the ocean, and extensively drug resistant Pseudomonas in Ohio. Read more →

Talmudic Question #112

Many, perhaps most bacteria, divide into daughter cells of almost precisely the same size. Why is that? Read more →

A Tale of Two Strategies

by S. Marvin Friedman | Bacteria are for the most part gregarious organisms, living predominantly in dense communities consisting of multiple strains. In fact, the majority of infectious bacteria occur as multi-layered structures called biofilms, many of which are composed of multiple types of bacteria. As one can imagine, neighbor relations in such complex populations can be… Read more →

Pictures Considered #19. The Basal End of Bacterial Flagella

by Elio | The end of bacterial flagella that is near the cell is a marvel of mechanical miniaturization — a molecular wheel that turns, just like the axle of a car. The assembly consists of a stator, the part that holds it in place, and a rotor, the part that… Read more →

TWiM #84: Microbiology Down Under

In Melbourne, Australia Vincent speaks with David, Melanie, and Adam about their work on group A Streptococcus, Helicobacter pylori, and infections of Koalas with Chlamydia. Read more →