
Show Notes
Nels and Vincent discuss how the rewetting of seasonally dried soils, a critical event in Mediterranean grasslands that reactivates dormant soil microorganisms, leading to pulses of carbon and nitrogen mineralization, and is accompanied by a bloom of viral diversity, followed by extensive viral community turnover. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Viral but not bacterial community successional patterns reflect extreme turnover shortly after rewetting dry soils Science Picks Nels - Bluesky Vincent - Cancer Virus Hunters: A History of Tumor Virology Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles Send your evolution questions and comments to [email protected]
More from This Week in Evolution
Nels and Vincent explain a study showing unique site-specific and shared habitat-level adaptation in a classic system of repeated evolution, stickleback fish. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Shared and site-specific adaptation in stickleback fish (PNAS) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Wynton Marsalis on Playing When Nobody Is Listening Vincent – With US measles deaths on the rise, local officials are stepping in where RFK Jr won't Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles
Nels and Vincent discuss the finding that balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies the ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server A transcription protein underlies daily sex alteration in avocado (PNAS) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Hypothesis fund and Pretty Viruses Project on iNaturalist Vincent – Hot Tuna – Water Song | Live at 4 6th Street Rock Palace (1973) Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles
Nels and Vincent discuss a chemically defined synthetic cell capable of growth and replication. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Chemically defined synthetic cell (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Jimothy the short spined racoon in Seattle Vincent – Nitrogen-fixing organelle in a marine alga Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles
Nels and Vincent discuss molecular mimicry of a pathogen virulence target by a plant immune receptor. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Molecular mimicry of a pathogen virulence target by a plant immune receptor (Science) Timestamps by Jolene Science Picks Nels – Plug-in solar Vincent – This Engine Will Reinvent Space Travel Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles
TWiEVO 126: Beyond Inheritance with Roxanne Khamsi June 1, 2026 Science journalist Roxanne Khamsi joins Nels and Vincent discuss her first book, Beyond Inheritance, which explores how DNA continuously mutates throughout our lives, challenging the idea that our genetic destiny is fixed at birth. Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello Guest: Roxanne Khamsi Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiEVO Links for this episode Join the MicrobeTV Discord server Beyond Inheritance (Amazon) Timestamps by Jolene Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles