by Roberto — Only very rarely have I had the experience of serendipitously running into an article that is entertaining, hugely informative, and shocking all at once. It happened last week and I feel utterly compelled to provide brief comments interspersed among quotes from sections that I found particularly striking and thought provoking. Read more →
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Talmudic Question #205
There are plenty of natural product families that inhibit essential enzymatic functions in cell wall synthesis (e.g., ß-lactams, glycopeptides), translation (e.g., aminoglycosides, tetracyclines) and transcription (e.g. rifampicin). Yet, there are very few (if any) natural products that specifically inhibit bacterial DNA polymerase. Why have such compounds not been found? Read more →
TWiM 290: Houston, we have Mimi Goldschmidt
From ASM Microbe 2023 in Houston, TWiM speaks with Mimi Goldschmidt about her remarkable career in microbiology which included training astronauts to safely bring moon rocks back to Earth. Read more →
Pictures Considered #61: how FtsZ-rings get shoveled to midcell in vitro
by Christoph — The last thirty years have been an "eye-opening" journey for microbial cell biologists, quite literally. I am, of course, talking about fluorescent labeling of individual cell components and the non‑invasive observation of their "behavior" in living bacterial cells. Just recently, I considered a video clip about Vibrio cholerae harpooning DNA. Now again a video clip, about... Read more →
Colorful AgarArt from DARWIN
by Manuel Porcar — At DARWIN, beyond our main commercial goal of developing microbial solutions for the industry, we are also trying to develop new artistic bio-inspired languages in which microorganisms may play a key role. In the frame of such exploration, we are developing culture media that combine... Read more →
eDNA everywhere for (almost) everything
by Mechas — I have recently come across several articles that mention work with environmental DNA, abbreviated with the catchy term eDNA. As a microbiologist, I am familiar with the term metagenomic DNA, which refers to the genetic material from a mixed community, and therefore wondered, are these terms equivalent? Read more →
Sizzling Summer
by Mechas — Whether on vacation, hard at work, or just wandering through the day, we are constantly at risk of being unsettled by encroaching tidbits of unsolicited news. In the past weeks, climate-change-associated disasters have taken prevalence: record-breaking high temperatures in Siberia, devastating rains in Europe and the US, and heat waves and yet more heat waves... Read more →
TWiM 289: Viral Defense and Counter-Defense
TWiM highlights viral defense and counter-defense: cGAS mediated ubiquitination to counter infection, and viral sponges that sequester nucleotide signals to inactivate immunity. Read more →
Micro Cross Talk
by Mechas and Roberto — It's been more than two years since our last "puzzler" so here's another one for you to try. For the old-fashion pencil & paper method, print both images and proceed. If you prefer to work online, there's a link. Have fun! Read more →
Life Before the LUCA
by Roberto — Summer is a time for pondering and Summer is reaching its peak in the Northern hemisphere. The extremely hot and humid weather now so pervasive in many locations might, in some bodies, feel like a hydrothermal vent. Read more →