This Week in Parasitism (Science)
TWiP is a podcast about the tiny creatures that live in and on us.

Vincent and Dickson discuss the intracellular parasite Cryptosporidium, which causes diarrheal disease in most mammalian species.

Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

Links for this episode:

Contact

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Direct download: TWiP018.mp3
Category:Science -- posted at: 4:37am PST

Vincent and Dickson continue their discussion of protozoan parasites that cause diarrhea with a review of amebic dysentery caused by Entamoeba histolytica.

Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

Links for this episode:

Contact

Send your questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twip@twiv.tv.

Subscribe (free)

Click here to receive an email notification when a new episode of TWiP is published.

Direct download: TWiP017.mp3
Category:Science -- posted at: 10:51pm PST

Vincent and Dickson review the life cycle and pathogenesis of the flagellated protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia.

Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

Links for this episode:

Direct download: TWiP016.mp3
Category:Science -- posted at: 7:06am PST

Vincent and Dickson discuss the life cycle and pathogenesis of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma.

Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

Links for this episode:

  • Metacyclic trypanomastigote (jpg)
  • Tsetse fly (jpg)
  • T. brucei life cycle (jpg)
  • T. brucei parasitemia (jpg)
  • Kissing bug nymph (jpg)
  • T. cruzi life cycle (jpg)
  • Letters read on TWiP 15
  • Direct download: TWiP015.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 10:45am PST

    Vincent and Dickson consider the life cycle and pathogenesis of the protozoan parasite Leishmania.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

  • L. braziliensis life cycle (jpg)
  • L. donovani life cycle (jpg)
  • L. tropica life cycle (jpg)
  • L. major lesion (jpg)
  • Transgenic mosquito delivers Leishmania vaccine (thanks, Geoffrey)
  • Plasmodium falciparum accompanied human expansion out of Africa (thanks, Prasad)
  • Who speaks for the guinea worm? (thanks, Michael)
  • Letters read on TWiP 14
  • Direct download: TWiP014.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 7:30pm PST

    Vincent and Dickson continue their discussion of the obligate intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii with a consideration of the clinical consequences of infection and pathogenesis.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

  • Isopod fish parasites (thanks, Kevin!)
  • Farmscraper on Word Spy (thanks, Mitchell!)
  • Toxoplasma and personalities (thanks, Greg!)
  • Science podcast (July 2) on parasites and intelligence (transcript - thanks, Jim!)
  • Letters read on TWiP 13
  • Direct download: TWiP013.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 7:00pm PST

    Vincent and Dickson introduce the obligate intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, one of the most successful parasites on earth.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

  • Global clinical burden of malaria (PLoS Medicine)
  • T. gondii sporulated oocysts (jpg)
  • T. gondii tachyzoites in parasitophorous vacuole (jpg)
  • T. gondii life cycle (jpg)
  • Insect bioterrorism conference (thanks, Don!)
  • Parasite of the Day (thanks, Douglas!)
  • World Science Festival
  • Letters read on TWiP 12
  • Direct download: TWiP012.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 7:00pm PST

    Vincent and Dickson continue their discussion of malaria, with emphasis on clinical aspects of the disease.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

  • The quest for a malaria vaccine (Meet the Scientist 49)
  • Science issue on malaria and tuberculosis
  • Malaria pathogenesis (pdf)
  • Malaria pathogenesis (jpg)
  • Letters read on TWiP 11
  • Direct download: TWiP011.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 11:00am PST

    Vincent and Dickson trace the life cycle of Plasmodium in a mosquito and in a human host.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

    • Mosquito cycle - sporogany (jpg)
    • Plasmodium falciparum cycle (jpg)
    • Plasmodium vivax cycle (jpg)
    • Plasmodium falciparum ring forms and gametocytes in blood (jpg)
    • Plasmodium stages (jpg)
    • Letters read on TWiP 10
    Direct download: TWiP010.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 7:00pm PST

    Vincent and Dickson move on to protozoan parasites with a discussion of the early history of malaria.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

    Direct download: TWiP009.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 7:20pm PST

    Dickson reads his story about sparganosis caused by the diphyllobothroid tapeworm Spirometra mansonoides.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

    Direct download: TWiP008.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 9:30am PST

    Vincent and Dickson continue their discourse on tapeworms, covering the fish and dog varieties.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

    • FAT the enemy that is shortening your life is BANISHED. How? With sanitized tapeworms. Easy to swallow! (jpg).
    • D. latum life cycle (jpg)
    • D. latum adult (jpg)
    • Diphyllobothrim proglottid (jpg)
    • Diphyllobothrim bothria (jpg)
    • Coracidium hatching from egg (jpg)
    • Dog tapeworm life cycle (jpg)
    • The Alien lifecycle (jpg)
    Direct download: TWiP007.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 7:30pm PST

    Vincent and Dick talk about the anatomy and life cycle of beef and pork tapeworms, and why House was wrong about neurocysticercosis.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

    • Taenia saginata life cycle (jpg)
    • Taenia saginata adult (jpg)
    • Taenia saginata scolex (jpg)
    • Taenia saginata gravid proglottid (jpg)
    • Taenia solium life cycle (jpg)
    • Taenia solium adult (jpg)
    • Taenia solium scolex (jpg)
    • Facial cancer in Tasmanian devils (thanks PhogDog!)

    Science Picks

    Dickson Peace through vaccine diplomacy by Peter Hotez
    Vincent Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer

    Direct download: TWiP006.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 9:30pm PST

    Vincent and Dick discuss the nurse cell, a unique structure formed in the host muscle by Trichinella species.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

    Weekly Science Picks

    Dickson Every Living Thing by Rob Dunn

    Direct download: TWiP005.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 7:30pm PST

    Vincent and Dick trace the life cycle of Trichinella spiralis in an infected host.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

    • Trichinella life cycle (jpg)
    • Newborn larva entering muscle cell (jpg)
    • Adult T. spiralis in columnar epithelial cell (jpg)
    • Adult female T. spiralis (jpg)
    • Infective first stage T. spiralis larva in Nurse cell in muscle tissue (jpg)
    • Adult female T. spiralis with fully formed larvae in uterus (jpg)
    • Adult male T. spiralis with claspers on tail (jpg)
    • Clinical correlations in trichinosis (jpg)
    • Letters read on TWiP #4

    Weekly Science Picks

    Dickson David Scharf's pictures of microbial life
    Vincent
    The Nobel Laureate Meetings at Lindau

    Direct download: TWiP004.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 9:00am PST

    Vincent and Dick distinguish among intracellular and extracellular parasites, then discuss the history and general characteristics of Trichinella spiralis.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Links for this episode:

    Weekly Science Picks

    Dickson The Doctor and the Devils

    Direct download: TWiP003.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 3:30pm PST

    Vincent and Dick classify parasites according to whether or not they are transmitted by a vector, then consider the implications of long-lived parasites.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Direct download: TWiP002.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 5:30pm PST

    Vincent and Dick provide an overview of parasites and parasitism.

    Host links: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier

    Weekly Science Picks

    Dick The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle
    Vincent Parasitic Diseases by Despommier et al.

    Direct download: TWiP001.mp3
    Category:Science -- posted at: 4:00am PST