The Worm Podcast19 Mar 2025

EPISODE 5: Unlocking the Physicochemical Fingerprint of the Hookworm Necator americanus

How does a tiny hookworm outsmart the human immune system? In this episode, we explore the physicochemical fingerprint of Necator americanus, a parasite that infects millions worldwide. Using cutting-edge techniques like atomic force microscopy (AFM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), researchers reveal how the hookworm’s sheath and cuticle surfaces play a crucial role in immune evasion and infection.

🔍 Key Topics Covered:

• The unique surface properties of N. americanus at the infective L3 stage

• How the hookworm’s sheath diverts immune defences, aiding reinfection

• The role of nano-annuli in enhancing adhesion and survival

• How surface chemistry, including heparan sulphate and phosphatidylglycerol, influences parasite migration

📖 Based on the research article:

“The Physicochemical Fingerprint of Necator americanus”**

Veeren M. Chauhan, David J. Scurr, Thomas Christie, Gary Telford, Jonathan W. Aylott, David I. Pritchard. Published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2017).

🔗 Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005971

Join us as we discuss how surface biochemistry influences parasite survival, reinfection, and potential future treatments!

🎧 Subscribe to the WoRM Podcast for more deep dives into cutting-edge parasitology research!

This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info:

🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com

📧 veeren.chauhan@nottingham.ac.uk

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(60)

EPISODE 60: Why Worms Switch Their Immune System Off

Welcome to the next episode of The Worm Podcast 🧠Today we are looking at a surprising idea in host defence:sometimes an animal is not trying to activate immunity.It is trying to hold it back.This pap...

23 Sep 22min

EPISODE 59: Food or Sex? The Worm Has to Choose

Welcome to the next episode of The Worm Podcast 🧠Today we are talking about a problem every animal faces:where should I spend my energy?For C. elegans, the answer depends partly on sex.Hermaphrodites...

16 Sep 19min

EPISODE 58: The Diet That Gave a Worm Its Copper Back

Welcome to the next episode of The Worm Podcast 🧠Today we are looking at copper, bacteria and a surprising dietary rescue.Copper is an essential micronutrient. Cells need it for mitochondrial energy ...

9 Sep 19min

EPISODE 57: AI Watches Worms Eat

Welcome to the next episode of The Worm Podcast 🤖Today we are talking about feeding.More specifically, how do you measure a worm eating when the worm refuses to stay still?The answer might be PumpKin...

2 Sep 22min

EPISODE 56: A Little Heat Makes a Stronger Worm

Welcome to the next episode of The Worm Podcast 🔥Can a little bit of stress actually make you stronger?In C. elegans, the answer appears to be yes.This episode explores heat hormesis — the idea that ...

26 Aug 20min

EPISODE 55: The Worm’s Stress Network

Welcome to the next episode of the WOrM Podcast 🪱⚡Today we are looking at how one stress-response protein helps a worm adapt to changing conditions.At the centre of the story is PMK-1, the C. elegans...

19 Aug 23min

EPISODE 54: Sleep, Fat and Memory: One Neuron Does It All

Welcome to the next episode of the WOrM Podcast 🪱💤Today we are looking at a single sleep-active neuron that connects far more than sleep.In C. elegans, the RIS neuron helps regulate:• sleep• lipid s...

12 Aug 20min

EPISODE 53: Worms on Pause

Welcome to the next episode of the WOrM Podcast 🪱⏸️Today, we are talking about worms that appear to stop living—without dying.Researchers have identified a new, reversible state of suspended animatio...

5 Aug 26min