Microbes are living things, like us - they live on and in and around us. As well as learning more and more how we co-live with them, scientists have now also figured out how to use microbes as tools.

In this episode, Alex and Merel explain one way in which microbes - in particular yeast, a type of fungus - can be used as a tool for medicine. We break down a scientific study in which scientists experimented with using yeast as a way to deliver cancer therapeutics to the right part of the body. The idea was to use yeast as a sort of mobile, mini-factory for producing the medicine, so that the medicine could be delivered at the right place at the right time. Interesting, right? Let's dive in!

Citation for the paper we discuss:

Rebeck et al. A yeast-based oral therapeutic delivers immune checkpoint inhibitors to reduce intestinal tumor burden. Cell Chem Biol. 2025 Jan 16;32(1):98-110.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.10.013. Epub 2024 Nov 20. PMID: 39571582; PMCID: PMC11741927.

Have you ever come across a stick insect? They look exactly like tree branches, blending in perfectly with their surroundings as a strategy for survival. By hiding in plain sight, they avoid detection by predators.

Just like stick insects survive by blending in with their surroundings, viruses and bacteria can do the same to avoid our immune systems and survive in our bodies. But when microbes mimic us, they may inadvertently mess with our immune systems. Researchers suspect that it could even trigger the development of autoimmune diseases.

Listen to this episode to understand how microbes can mimic humans to hide from our immune systems - and the unexpected consequences this can have.

Have you ever wondered why you need some vaccinations more often than others?

Listen in to Merel and Alex to find out how vaccines train the different specialized cells of your immune system to fight viruses... And how viruses are constantly fighting back.

Welcome to the Microbial Mondays podcast! In this first episode, your hosts Merel Sijbranda and Alex Cloherty introduce themselves, let you know what you can expect from this podcast, and then dive into the science by explaining the focuses of our own PhD projects.

Listen in to find out about the work we did (Alex) or are doing (Merel) to better understand how your immune cells - which all have different jobs - band together to defend against threats ranging from HIV to SARS-CoV-2 and beyond.