TWiM explains two strategies for bacterial competition for resources: by laying down a slippery lipid and pushing away competitors, or by breaking open cells with a spike, liberating essential nutrients. Become a <a style="text-decoration: none;" href= "http://www.microbe.tv/contribute"> patron</a> of TWiM. Links for this episode: <ul style= "margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"> <li dir="ltr" style= "list-style-type: disc; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;" aria-level="1"> Secreting a <a style="text-decoration: none;" href= "https://journals.asm.org/doi/epub/10.1128/mbio.01149-25"> slippery lipid</a> (mBio) </li> <li dir="ltr" style= "list-style-type: disc; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;" aria-level="1"> Lysing neighboring cells for <a style= "text-decoration: none;" href= "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr8286"> nutrients</a> (Science) </li> <li dir="ltr" style= "list-style-type: disc; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;" aria-level="1"> Underwater <a style="text-decoration: none;" href= "https://youtu.be/SAukrpTEvZA?si=XfGN7biA21RCGdA1"> hockey</a> (YouTube </li> </ul> Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by <a style= "text-decoration: none;" href= "http://ronaldjenkees.com/"> Ronald Jenkees</a> and used with permission. Send your microbiology questions and comments to twim@microbe.tv

336: The Volatilome of Biofluids

This Week in Microbiology is a podcast about unseen life on Earth hosted by Vincent Racaniello and friends. Following in the path of his successful shows 'This Week in Virology' (TWiV) and 'This Week in Parasitism' (TWiP), Racaniello and guests produce an informal yet informative conversation about microbes which is accessible to everyone, no matter what their science background.