This Week in Evolution

This Week in Evolution

This Week in Evolution is a podcast on the biology of what makes us tick. Hosts Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello take you through the new evolution that has been revolutionized by the field of genomics and molecular biology.

Episodes

October 30, 2026 • 74 mins

Nels and Vincent explain a study showing that expansion of the genetic code in plants allows control of bacterial activity.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Nels and Vincent explain a study showing unique site-specific and shared habitat-level adaptation in a classic system of repeated evolution, stickleback fish.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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August 31, 2026 • 87 mins

Nels and Vincent discuss the finding that balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies the ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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July 23, 2026 • 78 mins

Nels and Vincent discuss a chemically defined synthetic cell capable of growth and replication.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Nels and Vincent discuss molecular mimicry of a pathogen virulence target by a plant immune receptor.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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TWiEVO 126: Beyond Inheritance with Roxanne Khamsi

June 1, 2026

Science journalist Roxanne Khamsi joins Nels and Vincent discuss her first book, Beyond Inheritance, which explores how DNA continuously mutates throughout our lives, challenging the idea that our genetic destiny is fixed at birt...

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April 26, 2026 • 52 mins

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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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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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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February 2, 2026 • 75 mins

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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January 8, 2026 • 102 mins

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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January 8, 2026 • 106 mins

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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Nels and Vincent explain research attempting to explain why among humans, females around the world live on average 5 years longer than males, but the trend is reversed in many birds, amphibians, and insects.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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October 14, 2025 • 109 mins

Nels and Vincent discuss research which shows a shift from the rule that living organisms produce same-species offspring: an ant that produces individuals from two distinct species.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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August 20, 2025 • 98 mins

Nels and Vincent discuss research on hidden evolutionary constraints that dictate the retention of coronavirus accessory gene, which was flagged by NIH as potentially dangerous gain-of-function research.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Nels and Vincent review research on how neuropeptides influence the behavior of leafcutter ants, and regulate the different caste behaviors such as defenders, leaf foragers, brood care, and fungus farming.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Nels and Vincent discuss an ultra reduced archaeal genome, the closest cellular entity to date that approaches a viral strategy of existence.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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Nels and Vincent review the properties of Mendel's pea genes through the lens of modern genetic analysis.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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April 23, 2025 • 87 mins

Nels and Vincent explain the ancestry and evolution of the extinct dire wolf.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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March 26, 2025 • 87 mins

Nels and Vincent explain the ancient evolutionary origin of sex in cephalopods.

Hosts: Nels Elde and Vincent Racaniello

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