Audiommunity

48:44

Episode 58 - Proverbial boiling frog pot

Audiommunity ·

2026/08/19

In this Episode, Matt and Kevin talk politics of science. Again. God, this is exhausting.Links* No paper this time - we’re riffing on the Cancelled Emory Grant* Institutional comments from Emory and Tufts on the proposed OMB rule* Some analysis of the content of OMB comments from Drug Monkey* Reporting on the new “golden age” of science, which means defunding universities* Our world in data - academic freedom index Get full access to Audiommunity Org at www.audiommunity.org/subscribe

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63:09

Episode 57 - F'ing magnets, how do they work... in...

Audiommunity ·

2026/07/06

In this episode, Matt and Kevin (mostly) take a break from politics to discuss pigeon migration using magnetoreception, with macrophages! Maybe.Links* The paper: Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions* An Immense World by Ed Yong, a beautiful book about animal senses.* Wikipedia article on magnetotactic bacteria.* Previous Audiommunity episode about headbutting that Matt mentions in the intro* Take action to prevent that OMB rule change that would

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55:33

Episode 56 - It's the institutions

Audiommunity ·

2026/06/29

In this episode, Matt and Kevin discuss a new proposal from the US Office of Management and Budget that would (among other things) wrench control of funding decisions out of the hands of experts and put it in the hands of political hacks.Also… no actually that’s it. We spend our whole time on this. Go write a comment on the proposed rule change, contact your representatives. This is it folks - American science doesn’t recover from this, at least not for a long time.Links* The paper (that we didn’t

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70:23

Episode 55 - Slow down and organize

Audiommunity ·

2026/04/29

In this episode, Matt and Kevin discuss a paper from a few years ago showing how faster, longer signaling, more adaptable neutrophils are actually worse at their job! Specifically, knocking out a GPCR kinase GRK2 impairs the ability of neutrophils to turn off their swarming behavior impairs their ability to deal with infections.Also, we’re thick with analogies - neutrophils are by turns mobs, berserker warriors, or agents of a fascist state.Links* The paper: Neutrophils self-limit swarming to

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72:20

Episode 54 - Poop is lumen

Audiommunity ·

2026/04/07

In this episode, Matt and Kevin discuss a new paper showing a new technique to add poly-A tails to every RNA in a tissue section, enabling capture by spot-based sequencing technologies. This let’s them see microbes and host-encoded non-messenger RNAs, giving a much better view into intestinal biology.Plus, Matt thinks it’s funny they’re taking tissue slices though fecal pellets and Kevin routinely says “microvillus” when he means “villus”, and pretends to know the anatomy of the intestines when he

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70:34

Episode 53 - Something catastrophic

Audiommunity ·

2026/03/06

In this episode, Matt and Kevin discuss a new paper from Matt’s old boss that shows that repeated “vaccination” against a completely harmless protein from chicken egg whites stimulates broad-based protection against a host of viral and bacterial pathogens, not to mention prevents mice from developing allergies.So should everyone rush to drip LPS and ovalbumin into their noses? Mmmm… not so fast.Plus, we kvetch about new NIH policies for the politburo-tization of grant review. A new era of American

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88:04

Episode 52 - Close to the squeezey part

Audiommunity ·

2026/02/02

Oh hey, look, we’re on substack now!In this paper, Matt and Kevin discuss a new paper identifying and describing a new kind of macrophage (or is it a dendritic cell?) they call “adenophages”. The cells live in salivary and other exocrine glands, and are really good at phagocytosis and antigen presentation. But they also help squeeze out spit? Links* The Paper: Adenophages are an atypical macrophage population in exocrine glands sustained by ILC2-derived GM-CSF* Wikipedia article on salivary glands

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70:31

Scatch that itchy worm in your head

Audiommunity ·

2025/11/19

In this episode, Matt and Kevin are joined by [Nicole Ackermans](https://nicoleackermans.com)to discuss her recent review paper tracing human thoughts about headbutting from 10,000 BCE to the present day. How are animals like bighorn sheep and woodpeckers protected from brain injury? Actually, wait... **are** they protected from brain injury?

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77:27

The Tyranny of the FACS machine

Audiommunity ·

2025/11/06

In this episode Matt and Kevin welcome special guest Zach Hiltfrom the University of Toledo - we're talking neonatal Tregs!

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78:12

Big if true

Audiommunity ·

2025/08/27

Someone made an AI-based "virtual lab" to engineer nanobodies -is this a paradigm shift in how we do science, or a transpararent and cynical effort to slurp up all of the citations for being first? Por que no los dos?

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64:34

Evolution - it's a hell of a drug

Audiommunity ·

2025/08/11

Bacteria have immune systems? Even adaptive immune systems? And autoimmunity?Well... sort of

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76:24

Why don't you go stain a brain?

Audiommunity ·

2025/07/21

Matt and Kevin discuss a new paper about the "subfornical organ"which (once again) undermines the idea of immune privilage, and also points to an interesting evolutionary question: why would T-cells migrating from fat to the brain affect hunger response?

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68:35

Hypercube in the common parlance

Audiommunity ·

2025/06/03

Think vaccines aren't important?Kate, Kevin, and Matt discuss a paper modeling just how wrong you are - that is, unless you don't mind children dying.

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66:44

Sense of adventure

Audiommunity ·

2025/05/26

Matt and Kevin speak with Abbie Smith,an assistant professor at Emory's Hope Clinic, about the current state of American biomedical science.

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62:43

Mohawk Mice, Precious

Audiommunity ·

2025/05/21

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Ban the Lomb-Scargle

Audiommunity ·

2025/05/06

I'm certain that what you've really been missing in these dark timesis two guys mansplaining menstruation...but also cool immunology!

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76:48

It is a problem to encounter LPS in your eye

Audiommunity ·

2025/04/15

In this episode, we're talking about a strange phenomenon where the immune systemseems to intentionally shuttle certain microbes from the gut to lymph nodes and the spleen.

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81:50

Oh no, it rhymes!

Audiommunity ·

2025/03/27

In this episode, we're talking about the OAS-RNaseL virus-sensing pathway,and the passage of its product, 2,5-oligoadenylate, through gap junctions.

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127:06

Mice touching grass

Audiommunity ·

2025/03/18

How does "rewilding" mice change their immune system? Also, an interview with an organizer of the Atlanta Stand Up for Science march!

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77:46

One hundred times mosquito, by mass

Audiommunity ·

2025/02/28

In this episode, we're talking itch, and the sweet sweet relief you get when degranulating your mast cells.

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