This Week in Microbiology explores the ecology and effects of microbes. Podcast host Vincent Racaniello discusses both the helpful and harmful varieties. Expert guests join him in each episode.

Racaniello has helped secure twelve patents. His training includes Cornell, MIT, and the Mount Sinai Medical Center. He's the Higgins Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University. Racaniello studies picornaviruses, including paralysis and the common cold. He pioneered an infectious clone of an RNA virus in animals. It changed modern virology. There are many theories about microbes. On this podcast, Racaniello reveals them.

This Week in Microbiology discusses how microbes make people sick. That includes E. coli's role in cancer and UTIs. The specialists analyze how an oral bacterium affects Alzheimer's disease. They describe associations between microbiomes, depression, and Parkinson's disease. The podcast also explores the benefits of microbes. Listeners learn how a mother's breast milk builds her baby's microbiome and immunity. They hear about an mRNA vaccine that might prevent Lyme disease. There's even a bacterium that's making greener biofuels for jets.

Racaniello has studied microbial sciences since the 1970s. He has immeasurable expertise, yet he values current student's input. In one podcast episode, he shares what students Justyna Kakol and Mainor Vang discovered in a park. Kakol and Vang were students at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC). They were seeking out new antibiotics in soil. Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern. They isolated a bacterium with no known antibiotic abilities. It had a proven ability to degrade creatine and nicotine. Kakol and Vang realized it was also active against virulent and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

The discovery creates profound possibilities. Racaniello says soil is different everywhere, and it's affordable to research. This Week in Microbiology is a source of hope.

Racaniello's extensive research reveals a commonality between helpful and harmful microbes. Eliminating dangerous ones yields better health. Implementing beneficial ones does, too. Racaniello and his guest's work is critical. The podcast This Week in Microbiology may be a gift to listeners who prioritize health. There are even fun microbial tips about making sourdough bread and selecting cuts of meat.