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This Week in Evolution

This Week in Evolution is a podcast on the biology behind what makes us tick.
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This Week in Evolution
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Now displaying: 2026
Apr 26, 2026

Nels and Vincent discuss the development of a comprehensive transcriptomic atlas of early
embryogenesis from 61 animal species to understand the control of gene expression transitions from maternally deposited products to newly transcribed zygotic RNA.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Science Picks

Nels – Biologists Confirm Not Much Evolution Happened Today
Vincent – How Trains Take Electricity from Wires Without Breaking Contact

Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles

Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Mar 19, 2026

Nels and Vincent discuss the discovery of a short RNA with the ability to catalyze its own synthesis.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Science Picks

Nels – The University of Illinois Just Released a Popcorn So Good It Doesn’t Need Butter
Vincent – Waste Wars: The Wild Afterlife of Your Trash by Alexander Clapp

Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles

Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Mar 19, 2026

Nels and Vincent explain how stinkbug females smear fungus on their eggs to protect them from wasp parasitism.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Science Picks

Nels – Meet the Olympic superstar who trains under the radar in Utah
Vincent – The Discovery That Changed the Universe

Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles

Send your evolution questions and comments to twievo@microbe.tv

Feb 2, 2026

Nels and Vincent explain how selfishness evolved multiple times from an essential tRNA synthetase gene in a nematode.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Science Picks

Nels - From Where Does it STEM?
Vincent - An Act of Cosmic Sabotage

Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles

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Jan 8, 2026

Nels and Vincent examines the use of AI and genome language models to design novel derivatives of bacteriophage phiX174.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Science Picks

Nels – NIH official resigns after flap over risks of seasonal flu virus study and The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking discoveries, and ensure that scientific progress and technological innovation benefit all Americans.
Vincent – One Plus One Equals One: Symbiosis and the evolution of complex life by John Archibald

Music on TWiEVO is performed by Trampled by Turtles

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Jan 8, 2026

Nels and Vincent explain research which shows that insertion of a retrovirus into the genome regulates a novel color trait in swordtail fish.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Science Picks

Nels – Some like it hot! A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes and Kara Marshall’s talk on history of science/science funding in the US, family connections to medical care, and her own lab’s work at Baylor College of Medicine
Vincent – NIH shake-up to grant decision-making draws concerns of political meddling

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