This Week in Parasitism

TWiP 176: Blood schmear

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPpers of the bite fantastic solve the case of the Indian Man Who Hiked, and discuss the effects of schistosome soluble egg antigen on infection...

TWiP 175: None alone pathognomonic

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP'ers solve the case of the Sudanese Boy With Fever, and reveal antibodies against that slow invasion of red blood cells potentiate other malar...

TWiP 174: Fat cat

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPloid organisms solve the case of the Doctor with Chronic Epigastric Pain, ...

TWiP 173: Rose colored spots

13 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The podcastellani hosts solve the case of the Sailor With Dysentery, and reveal th...

TWiP 172: A painless lesion

14 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The metacyclic TWiPomastigotes solve the case of the Child With a Painless Leg Les...

TWiP 171: Better than a sharp stick in the eye

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Leishmaniacs solve the case of the Child With Band Keratopathy, and reveal a eukaryotic parasite with functional mitochondria but without mitochon...

TWiP 170: A worm's eye view

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPlicates solve the case of the Child With Retinal Granuloma, and discuss an association of the complement protein collectin-11 with the pathoph...

TWiP 169: What goes on in the snail

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The TriTWiPomonads solve the case of the Child Who Passed a Worm, and reveal recombination between bovine and human schistosome species. Hosts: Vince...

TWiP 168: Kleptoparasitism and the stercoraceous souvenir

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Giardians of the Galaxy solve the case of the Woman With a Colonic Stowaway from Hispaniola, and discuss activation of intestinal tuft cells by Tr...

TWiP 167: The constipated mathematician

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Tremendous Trio solve the case of the Woman With Foul Steatorrhea, and reveal breakdown of the glycocalyx associated with severe and fatal malari...

TWiP 166: From remote locations

16 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Podfessors solve the case of the Teenager With Swollen Scrotum, and continue the story arc of Daniel's favorite cells, B-1 cells, and their assoc...

TWiP 165: The sound of crackles

26 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP team solves the case of the Four Year Old with Fever, Headache, and Cough, and discuss the release of extracellular vesicles from Leishmania...

TWiP 164: Surf n' perf

12 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP legends solve the case of Surfer Sans Septum, and discuss how two symbiotic bacteria in the tsetse fly allow colonization with Trypanosoma b...

TWiP 163: Trout and parasites

29 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The doctors of awesome solve the case of the Woman Who Visited Lebanon, and reveal that immunoglobulins protect the olfactory organ of trout against ...

TWiP 162: That swollen parcel of dropsies

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP professors solve the case of the Baby With Pericardial Effusion, and discuss whether the flagellate without a flagella, Dientamoeba fragilis,...

TWiP 161: All I need is a bit of skin

10 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPsters solve the case of the Brazilian Immigrant With Heart Problems, and describe how genome organization controls trypanosome antigenic vari...

TWiP 160: Toddy tappers

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPlets solve the case of the Electrician from Tamil Nadu with a Liver Mass, and reveal that dogs and humans share a common Chadian Guinea worm....

TWiP 159: Loa and Loa but not gone

28 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP triptych solve the case of the 9/11 Survivor infested with parasites, and discuss the effect of community ivermectin treatment for onchocer...

TWiP 158: Ant-appetising slime balls

14 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP hosts solve the case of the Thai Woman With Red Bumps, and reveal that a master manipulator contacts ant brain tissue to control its behavio...

TWiP 157: What a long, strange TWiP it's been

29 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP professors solve the case of the Woman With Intracellular Ring Forms, and explore the role of Coxiella and Rickettsia endosymbionts in acq...

TWiP 156: The parasitic devil is in the details

08 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP crew solves the case of the Ecuadorian with Immunodeficiency and Chronic Diarrhea, and discuss oral transmission of Chagas disease in mice. ...

TWiP 155: Miss Dickson

24 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Justin joins the TWiP team to solve the case of the Gentleman with B cell Lymphoma, and consider the finding of Dracunculus species in river otters f...

TWiP 154: A louse-y episode

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent and Daniel solve the case of the Man in the City with Groin Rash, catch up on the long backlog of email, and present a new case, possibly the...

TWiP 153: Ars longa, vita brevis

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent and Daniel solve the case of the Panamanian Farmer with Three Weeks of Diarrhea, and discuss how microbes egested during bites of sand flies ...

TWiP 152: A range of rads

26 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP peeps solve the case of the Panamanian Mother with Steatorrhea, and reveal new monoclonal antibodies that effectively block malarial infecti...

TWiP 151: Indiscriminate bulk feeders

02 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Podfessors solve the case of the Itchy Child from Panama, and discuss competition for blood in human malaria-helminth co-infections. Hosts: Vinc...

TWiP 150: Fast food

19 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPers solve the case of the Panamanian Man With Leg Ulcer, and describe how a crab predator preferentially feeds on parasite infected prey - ev...

TWiP 149: Stranger in a strange land

22 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Shivang joins the TWiP triumvirate to solve the case of the New Yorker With Rash and Pins and Needles, and reveal how agrochemicals increase risk of h...

TWiP 148: Weep and sweep

07 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP-tologists solve the case of the South American Child With Belly Pain, and reveal how B1 cell IgE blocks parasite clearance by inhibiting mas...

TWiP 147: The savvy physician tests the tissue

24 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The three amigos of parasitology solve the case of the New York Lawyer With A Foot Ulcer, and discuss a survey of rodents for the raccoon roundworm i...

TWiP 146: Thus misspake Despommier

31 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The TWIPniks solve the case of the Man With Diarrhea and 100 Micron Objects In Stool, and discuss the reticulocyte receptor for Plasmodium vivax. Hos...

TWiP 145: Is it excreted or secreted?

17 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Estimados Profesores of TWIP solve the case of the Man With Motile Objects, and reveal the secreted and excreted proteins of Giardia parasites. H...

TWiP 144: A blood-free snip

14 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPtomaniacs solve the case of the Boy With Visual Disturbances and Itching, and discuss identifying secreted and excreted proteins of Trichinell...

TWiP 143: There's a lot of worms out there

28 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPians solve the case of the Woman With Anemia, Eosinophila, and a Worm in Her Intestine, and discuss a study on the function and druggability o...

TWiP 142: Just a virus, go home

17 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPsids solve the case of the Guatemalan Positive for Rhinovirus, and reveal how to kill all African trypanosomes with a primate apolipoprotein. ...

TWiP 141: Paratransgenesis

31 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP Wataalamu solve the case of the One Year Old From Kenya With Moving Skin Lesions, and describe how to make mosquitoes refractory to Plasmodi...

TWiP 140: Blasting Blastocystis

17 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The triple TWiP solve the case of the Peace Corp Veteran with Eosinophilia, and discuss the genome sequence of the hyper-prevalent parasitic eukaryote...

TWiP 139: Eggsactly, ova and ova

21 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPwalas solve the case of the Woman with a Worm in Her Eye, and discuss the role of nitric oxide in the resistance of rats to Schistosoma japon...

TWiP 138: Telmophages and the skin parasite landscape

06 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPsters solve the case of the Child from DR with Poppy Seed Sized Things On His Head Hair Shafts, and reveal how the skin parasite landscape det...

TWiP 137: An aberrant encounter

12 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPtoids solve the case of the Man from India with a Neck Lump, and explore the role of a transmissible dysbiotic skin microbiome in inflammation...

TWiP 136: Daniel throws a softball

11 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP Titans solve the case of the Man from Queens with a Blister Burster, and explain the role of inflammatory monocytes during Leishmania infecti...

TWiP 135: Embryonated eggs of wisdom

21 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Dickson returns to the TWiP hosts to solve the case of the Woman from Colorado With Loose Stools, and explain how single-sex infection with female Sch...

TWiP 134: Does toxoplasma make you sexy?

24 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel and Vincent solve the case of the Haitian Girl Who Failed To Thrive, and visit two studies that address the question of whether infection wi...

TWiP 133: Tape test

13 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel and Vincent solve the case of the Woman With Anal Area Discomfort, and discuss the multiple functions of a clathrin adapter protein in form...

TWiP 132: Salted crab som tum

29 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP-tastic peeps solve the case of the Thai Man Coughing Up Blood, and reveal potential therapies for trypanosomiasis that are inhibitors of pro...

TWiP 131: Entomophagy

15 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan from the podcast Arthro-Pod joins the TWiPerati to solve the case of the Peruvian Woman With Inguinal Insect Bite, and discuss warm autoimmu...

TWiP 130: Paige Turner

01 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPniks solve the case of the Man With AIDS, and explore how secretion of...

TWiP 129: Human kindness, river blindness

15 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiP Masters solve the case of the Australian Wildlife Carer, and review e...

TWiP 128: It's over 9000!

04 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPerati solve the case of the Man Who Sat in Feces, and discuss a study...

TWiP 127: Kava not Cava

15 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPsters solve the case of the Peace Corps Volunteer with a Liver Lesion...

TWiP 126: A virus walks into a parasite

04 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiP Trinity solve the case of the Peace Corps volunteer with diarrhea, a...

TWiP 125: Third time's a charm

21 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPonderers solve the case of the Timber Worker with Severe Shaking Chil...

TWiP 124: RPAing with the tryps

05 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The prolific podcast-shedding Hosts solve the case of the Global Health Intern...

TWiP 123: What we know is confusing

20 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPanorama solve the case of the Dutch Woman with Wormy Objects in Her St...

TWiP 122: If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will

06 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPniks docs solve the case of the Female from Peru with Epistaxis, and...

TWiP 121: A parasite without borders

16 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPanosome docs solve the case of the Mali Man with Profuse Diarrhea, and...

TWiP 120: When they die they calcify

10 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiP triumvirate solve the case of the Thai Woman with Facial Swelling, and e...

TWiP 119: A kinder and gentler case

25 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Daniel Griffin Vincent and Daniel solve the case of the Family with Eosinophilia, and discuss HIV-1 infection and...

TWiP 118: Crispr capers with Toxoplasma

06 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPinella solve the case of the Woman from Guinea, and describe the use of...

TWiP 117: Parasitic puzzles

26 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The parasite prophets solve the case of the Thai Man with Abdominal Distention...

TWiP 116: One drug to rule them all

11 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPtoids solve the case of the Thai Fisherman with Chronic Diarrhea, and r...

TWiP 115: The Cuscuta Factor

27 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPlets solve the sad case of the Boy Who Went Swimming, and explain why the...

TWiP 114: Plant potions perturb Plasmodium

12 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiP troika solve the case of the Female from the Bronx, and reveal how fe...

TWiP 113: Flying pigs

23 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin Guest: Jason Zucker The TWiP ternion solve the case of the Man from Mexico, an...

TWiP 112: A NOD to a tricky helminth

25 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiP trio solve the case of the Woman from Washington Heights, and reveal how...

TWiP 111: Bug bites

03 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiP trio solve the case of the bug bites all in a row, and talk about a secre...

TWiP 110: Malaria at the Bronx Zoo

21 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin Guest: Paul Calle The TWiP trio visit the Bronx Zoo where Paul solves the case of...

TWiP 109: Blame it on Mother

13 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Daniel Griffin Guest: Paul Daniel and Vincent solve the case of the Truck Driver from India, discuss why parasites re...

TWiP 108: B1 cells and Leishmania, insider traitors

23 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The case of the Man from Assam is solved, and phagocytosis of Leishmania by B-1 ...

TWiP 107: Parasites leave a bad taste in my gut

11 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPtastic trio solves the case of the Surfer from Switzerland, and reveal...

TWiP 106: Trematode stormtroopers in snail wars

26 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiP triumvirate solves the case of the Missionary in Kenya, and review the...

TWiP 105: Survival of the fattest

12 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPanosomes solve the case of the Young Man from Anchorage, and discuss how ...

TWiP 104: La maladie du sommeil

27 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin Guest: Michael Libman Michael returns to help the TWiP trio solve the case of th...

TWiP 103: Scroll down, please

13 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin Guest: Michael Libman The TWiP-scholars solve the case of the Housewife from Ko...

TWiP 102: Nursing eosinophils

06 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiPyzoites solve the case of the Uncommon Parasite, and discuss the role o...

TWiP 101: Is it round or is it flat?

23 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The doctors TWiP solve the case of the Woman with White Worms, and explain the...

TWiP 100: Driving past a milestone

09 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommier, and Daniel Griffin The TWiP trifecta solves the case of the Woman from Bolivia with Belly Pain, and...

TWiP 99: You get your polar bear from your nana

05 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP trifecta solves the case of the Professor Who Went to Brazil, and discuss an amazing case of a tapeworm that turned into a tumor in an AIDS p...

TWiP 98: Resistance is not futile

31 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiP-lets reveal Balamuthia infection in the Children from Peru, and discuss resistance to pyrethroids revealed by RNA sequencing of Anopheles ...

TWiP 97: The seven year itch

17 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The paratenic hosts reveal a case of scabies in the Traveling Salesman, and discuss a role for natural antibody in protection from infection with Pla...

TWiP 96: Salivary pharmacopeia

03 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The TWiPanosomes solve the case about the Young Woman who Went to Belize, and relate how sandfly saliva skews the immune response and increases risk o...

TWiP 95: Arsenic and Leishmania

19 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel solve the case about the 33 year old Chinese male with watery diarrhea, and discuss whether arsenic in drinking water mig...

TWiP 94: Loa hanging fruit

05 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel solve the case about the man from El Salvador, discuss the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors to treat onchocerciasis and ...

TWiP 93: A fishy tale unfolds

08 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel solve their fishy tale, and present a new case study for your consumption. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dickson Despommi...

TWiP 92: Kleptohaemodeipnonism

04 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel discuss how fluctuation in the price of guinea pig food could help transmission of the agent of Chagas disease, and prese...

TWiP 91: Born to deform

20 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel review how Viagra might be used to block transmission of Plasmodium falciparum, and introduce a new case study. Hosts:...

TWiP 90: A carbuncle is a large furuncle

30 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel discuss identification of an erythrocyte protein essential for invasion of Plasmodium falciparum, and introduce a new ca...

TWiP 89: Day TWiPers

16 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel reveal last week's case study and introduce a new one concerning a patient who traveled to Belize. Hosts: Vincent Racan...

TWiP 88: French foreign lesion

02 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel discuss how a secreted protein from the protozoan parasite Theileria transforms its host cells via a cellular proto-onc...

TWiP 87: Stumped by pinworm

21 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel review new insight into antigenic variation in trypanosomes, reveal the difficult solution to the last case study, and pr...

TWiP 86: Worms Loa the immune response to mycobacteria

29 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel discuss how filarial infection modulates the immune response to mycobacterial infection, and reveal a new case study. Ho...

TWiP 85: Channeling tryps

14 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel explain how trypanolytic factor forms membrane channels to lyse trypanosomes, and present a new case study. Hosts: Vinc...

TWiP 84: Bigfoot

28 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel consider the delivery of anti-trypanosome nanobodies to the tsetse fly via a bacterial symbiont, and present a new case s...

TWiP 83: Hidden costs of infection

23 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel present a new case study, and discuss the effect of chronic malaria infection on wild warbler life span and telomere degr...

TWiP 82: A NOD to helminths

07 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel solve last week's case study, present a new one, and reveal how secreted proteins from a helminth prevent diabetes in mic...

TWiP 81: Living in a wormy world

24 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel provide the solution to last week's case study, present a new one, and discuss how immune suppression by nematodes increa...

TWiP 80: Daniel in the parasites' den

08 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

 Vincent and Dickson welcome new TWiP host Daniel to discuss the association of a new Mycoplasma with Trichomoniasis, and to introduce a new feature ...

TWiP 79: Across the river and into the trees

22 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent and Dickson discuss the spread of P. knowlesi in Malaysia, and how Leishmania parasites protect the sandfly gut from bacterial infection. ...

TWiP 78: Eau de rodent

29 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent and Dickson discuss how malaria parasites induce odors in their rodent hosts that attract mosquitoes. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickso...

TWiP 77: Mixed messages

19 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Vincent and Dickson discuss the exchange of messenger RNAs between a parasitic plant and its hosts. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommi...