TWiM #80: Hurling fleas and designer chromosomes

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Elio Schaechter, and Michele Swanson.  Vincent, Elio, and Michele discuss how to synthesize a designer yeast chromosome, and deciphering the genetic changes path that allowed Yersinia pestis to be transmitted by fleas. Links for this episode: Total synthesis of a yeast chromosome (Science) Evolution of Y. pestis to flea-borne transmission (Cell Host Micr) Proventricular valve (Wikipedia) Image: flea with Y. pestis proventricular mass Letters read on TWiM 80 Send your microbiology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to [email protected], or call them in to 908-312-0760. You can also post articles that you would like us to discuss at microbeworld.org and tag them with twim.