Immune

Martha Alexander-Miller discusses why newborn and infant immune responses to vaccines are generally less effective and how we can make vaccines safer and more effective. Host: Cindy Leifer Guest: Martha Alexander-Miller Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Flu HA nanoparticle vaccine (Nat Comm, 2025) Sex-dependent adjuvant activity in newborns (Vaccines, 2024) Flu vaccine with R848 adjuvant (Vaccines, 2023) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

Matters Microbial #130: The Holobiont — Animals, Microbes, and Ecology May 19, 2026 Today Dr. Kevin Kohl, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how he and his colleagues study the interplay between animals, their resident gut microbes, and the overarching concept of the holobiont. Host: Mark O. Martin Guest: Kevin Kohl Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify Become a patron of Matters Microbial! Links for this episode The One Health Microbiome Center at Pennsylvania State University. A very fine essay on the holobiont concept for non-microbiologists. A general introductory overview of the holobiont concept. The holobiont concept and the coral symbiosis. A partial history of the development of the holobiont concept. Dr. Casadevall suggests that context and thus outcomes describes the term "pathogen," and a similar analysis applies to the holobiont. A very short description of the holobiont concept. Another overview of the holobiont concept in general, coauthored by Dr. Kohl. Some basic rules for thinking about the holobiont concept. A video introduction to the holobiont concept, by Dr. Seth Bordenstein. I highly recommend this essay by the science writer Carl Zimmer, "The Human Lake," to think of the connections between lake ecology and microbial interactions with humans. Another wonderful article recommended by Dr. Kohl, by Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai and coauthors, detailing the impact microbes have on animals over evolution and development. The wood rat – creosote – microbiome connection to the holobiont concept, discussed on this podcast (coauthored by Dr. Kohl). The fascinating work by Dr. Kohl and colleagues showing the relationship between tadpole development and pond microbes discussed in this podcast. A must read article by Dr. Kohl and colleagues, "Through the microbial looking glass: our shifting understanding of the holobiont and microbes as mediators of organismal biology," illustrates the development and influence of the holobiont concept. Dr. Richard Prum's book, "Performance All the Way Down," was discussed during this podcast. There is also a video where Dr. Prum discusses the ideas in this book, describing gene regulation as a performance. Dr. Kohl's faculty website. Dr. Kohl's (very interesting) research website. Intro music is by Reber Clark Send your questions and comments to mattersmicrobial@gmail.com

Luke O'Neill recounts his role in discovering key components of the TLR signaling pathway, explains how pursuing unexpected research questions keeps him motivated, and reflects on his experiences as an entrepreneur founding biotech companies. Host: Cindy Leifer Guest: Luke O'Neill Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server O'Neill lab Identification of MAL in the TLR signaling pathway (Nature, 2001) GDF 15, immunometabolism and anti-inflammatories (An Rev Pharmacol Tox, 2026) Itaconate and regulation of inflammation (Nat Metab, 2024) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

The Immune team talks all about cytokines, from what they are to immunotherapies against them to treat diseases. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Cindy Leifer, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Non-specific virus neutralization by IgM and complement (mBio 2026) Natural antibodies against viruses (Virology blog, 2009) Biologics against inflammatory cytokines (Int J Cell Bio, 2016) Biologics against allergic cytokines (JACI, 2022) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Immune logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

The Immune team discusses a paper describing the negative effects of old B cells on T cells and longevity and a snippet on an interesting vaccine approach to promote competition between gut commensals. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Cindy Leifer, Stephanie Langel, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Vaccine enhanced competition of gut bacteria (Science 2025) B cells drive immunosenescence and aging (Sci Immunol 2026) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Immune logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

Gabrielle Rizzuto from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses her work on the curious immunology of pregnancy and how a woman tolerates a genetically different baby but quickly rejects a mismatched organ donation. Host: Cindy Leifer Guest: Gabrielle Rizzuto Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Rizzuto lab at MSKCC Tolerance at the fetal-maternal interface (Nature, 2022) The paradox of fetal-maternal tolerance (J Exp Med, 2022) Spatially resolved timeline of fetal-maternal interface (Nature, 2023) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

Anna Beaudin from University of Utah talks about the key thread of her career, development, and how that influences her research on the events happening during critical prenatal windows shapes everything from the developing immune system to hearing loss. Host: Cindy Leifer Guest: Anna Beaudin Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Beaudin lab at University of Utah PhD work on metabolism and development Postdoc work on hematopoietic stem cells Maternal inflammation and hematopoietic stem cell development Prenatal inflammation effect on postnatal immunity Early life inflammation and hearing loss Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

The whole Immune gang gathers with special guests Gretchen Diehl and Shruti Naik at The Incubator with an audience to celebrate the 100th episode. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Cindy Leifer, Stephanie Langel, and Brianne Barker Guests: Gretchen Diehl and Shruti Naik Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Diehl: Gut microbe-specific T cell development (Nature 2021) Diehl: Bacteria-induced IL-1 is gut protective (Gut Microbes 2022) Diehl: Microbiota, macrophages, IL10, and colitis (Gut Microbes 2022) Diehl: E. coli-activated circuit restrains gut inflammation (Cell Rep 2025) Naik: Commensals control skin inflammation (Science 2012) Naik: IL-17 and hypoxic stress during skin repair (Science 2022) Naik: Human psoriasis and spatial transcriptomics (Sci Immunol 2023) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Immune logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

The Immune team discusses the groundbreaking discoveries of regulatory T cells, which was the topic of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Cindy Leifer, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Sakaguchi lab paper on FoxP3 and regulatory T cells (Science 2003) Brunkow and Ramsdell description of scurfy mouse mutation (Nature 2001) Nobel Prize writeup on Treg discoveries Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Immune logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

Immune discusses cross-reactive antibodies to avian influenza neuraminidases and a role for gut-derived T cells in the brain to regulate eating behavior. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Cindy Leifer, Steph Langel, and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Antibody cross-reactivity to influenza H5N1 (Cell Host Microbe, 2025) Gut-derived T cells regulate behavior (Nature, 2025) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Immune logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

Cindy and Steph discuss a paper that challenges the textbook dogma that B cells must first bind to an antigen for antibody affinity maturation to occur, and a snippet on dysfunctional T cells during bacterial vaginosis. Hosts: Cindy Leifer and Steph Langel Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Somatic hypermutation in non-specific B cells (Immunity 2025) Dysfunctional T cells during bacterial vaginosis (J Clin Invest 2025) Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Immune logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

Elizabeth Marnik, also known as Science Whiz Liz, grew up unvaccinated, yet she is now an immunologist, science communicator, and advocate for vaccines–this is her story. Host: Cindy Leifer Guest: Elizabeth Marnick Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Immune! Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server More about Liz on her webpage ScienceWhizLiz on Instagram From the Science Classroom with Science Whiz Liz on Substack Time stamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Music by Tatami. Logo image by Blausen Medical Send your immunology questions and comments to immune@microbe.tv Information on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.