255: Fleaing The Plague

TWiM reveals a study showing that positive interactions among bacteria are far more common than previously thought, and how acquisition of a single gene enabled Yersinia pestis to expand the range of mammalian hosts that sustain flea-borne plague.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, Michele Swanson, and Michael Schmidt

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Links for this episode:

• Positive interactions are common among bacteria (Sci Adv)
• Expansion of mammal hosts for flea-borne plague (PLoS Path)
• Hurling fleas (TWiM #80)

Music used on TWiM is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.

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