
How does salmonella get into peanut butter? And can you kill it once it's there?
The bacterium that sickened more than 400 across the U.S. and killed three is resistant to many sterilization techniques

How does salmonella get into peanut butter? And can you kill it once it's there?
The bacterium that sickened more than 400 across the U.S. and killed three is resistant to many sterilization techniques

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about E. Coli, Part 1
Author and journalist Carl Zimmer talks about E. coli, the bacteria that are the subject of his new book Microcosm: E. Coli and the New Science of Life. Web sites mentioned in this episode include www.carlzimmer.com


Turning Bacteria into Plastic Factories
A new company has found a way to produce polymers from genetically engineered microbes that feed on sugars, replacing fossil-fuel based processes

Space Suits Them: First Animal That Can Survive in Orbit
Tiny critters known as water bears thrive in Earth's harshest environments--and can also withstand the severity of conditions in space

Still Fighting the Plague
Researchers have come up with a way to make antibiotics more effective should the plague come back or if it is used for bioterrorism. Cynthia Graber reports

Bacteria That Snack on Antibiotics
A new study has turned up hundreds of bacterial strains that are not only antibiotic-resistant—they literally eat the life-saving drugs for breakfast.

Alligator For What Ails Ya?
Studies on alligator blood show that the big reptiles have incredibly robust immune systems, which researchers hope to exploit to create new antibiotics. Karen Hopkin reports.

Good Germs, Bad Germs
In this episode, journalist Jessica Snyder Sachs, author of the new book Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World, talks about the complex relationships between you and the numerous single-celled critters that live on and in you. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned on this podcast include: jessicasachs.com

Digging in Diapers for History of Gut Bacteria
A new tool allows scientists to map the changes in human intestinal bacteria over time in the precious first year of life

New Protein Fights Superbugs by Boosting Immune System
When antibiotics have lost their oomph, kick the immune system up a notch.

Bacterial Bait and Switch: Germs Tricked into Absorbing Wrong Element
In the face of mounting resistance to antibiotics, doctors seek to fool bacteria and deprive them of a critical growth factor.

Bacteria In Space Behave Badly
Russian researchers find that bacteria aboard orbiting vehicles have different gene expression patterns and could pose problems during missions.