Tim explains AI co-scientist, a tool released by Google, which it hopes to help scientists generate hypotheses and research proposals, and to accelerate the speed of scientific and biomedical discoveries. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Tim Cheung, and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server AI cracks superbug problem (BBC) Accelerating scientific breakthroughs (Google Research) Towards an AI co-scientist (arXiv) Time...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 59
TWiN explains a study showing that when a mouse is confronted with an unconscious conspecific, it engages in behavior including tongue-dragging to resuscitate the animal via a tongue-brain connection. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Tim Cheung, and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Tongue-dragging in mice (Sci Adv) Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions ...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 58
TWiN discusses a study showing that repetitive injury reactivates HSV-1 in a human brain tissue model and induces phenotypes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Tim Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Repetitive injury, herpes, and Alzheimers (Sci Signal) The tau of herpesvirus ( TWiV 1187 ) Fishing for viruses in senile ( TWiV 519 ) Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey . Thanks! Music is by Ronald ...
Feb 04, 2025•40 min•Ep. 57
TWiN explains a study showing that while groups of neurons, form the basis for memory, astrocytes are key components of the adaptive reponse to learning experiences, and regulate the flow of information during circuit plasticity and memory recall. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Tim Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Write your Senator , oppose RFK Jr nomination Astrocytes and memory (Nature) Timestamps...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 56
TWiN explains the identification of a brain circuit and periodic branch-specific neurotransmitter deployment that regulates organismal adaptation to photoperiod change. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Tim Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Brain circuit for photoperiod adaptation (Nature) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to twin@micr...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 55
TWiN explores how pregnancy leads to modifications in brain structure and function that may prepare the mother for parenting. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Pregnancy transforms the brain (Nature) Hormone-mediated neural remodeling during pregnancy (Science) Effects of pregnancy on brain activity (Nature Comm) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Rona...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 54
Joseph Paton and Felipe Rodrigues join TWiN to explain how they used temperature manipulation to alter the speed of neuronal dynamics in the dorsal striatum of rats, a manipulation that selectively slowed down or sped up time perception, illuminating the mechanisms of time-based decisions. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Guest: Joseph J. Paton and Felipe Rodrigues Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode M...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 53
Mauro Costa-Mattioli returns to TWiN to discuss the results of a placebo controlled, double blind clinical trial of a probiotic which improved social behavior but not autism severity in children with ASD. Hosts: Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Guest: Mauro Costa-Mattioli Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Probiotics for autism spectrum disorder (Cell Host Microbe) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 52
TWiN reviews altered somatosensory reactivity, which is frequently observed among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and in mouse models the developmental timing of aberrant touch processing can predict the manifestation of ASD-associated behaviors in mouse models. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Mouse models of autism spectru...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 51
TWiN reviews experiments which show that SARS-CoV-2 triggers the up-regulation of synaptic components and perturbs local electrical field potential in cerebral organoids, organotypic culture of human brain explants and post-mortem brain samples from individuals with COVID-19. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server SARS-CoV-2 perturbs synaptic homeo...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 50
TWiN welcomes mice to the elite club of ‘self-aware’ animals, with a study demonstrating a mirror-induced self-directed behavior in mice resembling visual self-recognition. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Mice are self-aware (Neuron) Mirror self-recognition in mice (Neuron) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience ques...
Mar 25, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 49
TWiN describes a study that reveals activation of endogenous retroviruses in oligodenroglia from patients with traumatic brain injury. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Timothy Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Activation of e ndogenous retroviruses in TBI oligodendroglia (Cell Rep) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to [email protected]...
Feb 19, 2024•51 min•Ep. 48
TWiN explains an amazing study of a man who was paralyzed after a spinal cord injury and regained the ability to walk after implantation of a brain-spinal cord interface. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Timothy Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Walking naturally after spinal cord injury (Nature) The paralyzed rat that walked (YouTube) Mike the headless chicken (Wikipedia) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks!...
Jan 29, 2024•55 min•Ep. 47
TWiN explains research showing that interaction between glioma cells and neurons in the brain shares mechanistic features with synaptic plasticity that contributes to memory and learning in the healthy brain. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Timothy Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Glioma synapses recruit mechanisms of adaptive plasticity (Nature) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenke...
Jan 01, 2024•51 min•Ep. 46
TWiN discusses research showing that sciatic nerve activation with electroacupuncture at the sciatic nerve controls systemic inflammation and rescues mice from polymicrobial peritonitis, by inducing vagal activation of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, leading to the production of dopamine in the adrenal medulla. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Timothy Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Electroacupun...
Dec 13, 2023•52 min•Ep. 45
TWiN reviews a mouse model of ADHD to characterize hypersensitivity to pain, and that sensitization is further amplified in a pathological inflammatory state. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Timothy Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Pain hypersensitivity in ADHD model (PNAS) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to [email protected]...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 44
TWiN discusses a study of on the pathways that control opioid analgesic tolerance, a root cause of opioid overdose and misuse, which can develop through an associative learning. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Timothy Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Associative opioid analgesic tolerance (Sci Adv) Pavlovian-conditioned opioid tolerance (Sci Adv) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenke...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 43
TWiN explains how psychedelic drugs such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA, which are being explored for treating a wide range of neuropsychiatric diseases, reopen the social reward period for critical learning. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , and Timothy Cheung Click arrow to play Download TWiN 042 (34 MB .mp3, 57 min) Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Psychedelic drugs open critical period (Nature) Psychedelics reop...
Jul 18, 2023•57 min•Ep. 42
Vivianne explains how early in Alzheimer’s disease, the brain attempts to counteract the increased excitatory drive caused by amyloid deposition, and that melanin-concentrating hormone, produced during sleep, is involved in this protective response. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Melanin-concentrating hormone and Alzheimer’s disease (Nat Ne...
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 41
Tim takes TWiN through two studies on the role of dopamine: that syllables are natural units of spontaneous behavior used by the brain to structure action, and that mesolimbic dopamine release conveys causal associations but not reward prediction errors, thereby challenging the dominant theory of reward learning. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Ser...
May 11, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 40
Junjie from Jason’s lab joins TWiN to discuss the observation that the cell gene PNMA2 encodes non-enveloped virus-like capsids that induce autoantibodies which underlie paraneoplastic syndrome. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Junjie Xu Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Virus-like capsids in paraneoplastic disease (bioRxiv) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your n...
Apr 28, 2023•53 min•Ep. 39
TWiN explains the finding that immunity to commensal bacteria promotes sensory neuron regeneration via the cytokine interleukin-17A. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Ori Lieberman , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode MicrobeTV Discord Server Immunity to the microbiota promotes sensory neuron regeneration (Cell) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to t...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 38
TWiN reviews the field of microgial research, which has advanced in recent decades but is constrained by nomenclature that is necessary but often implies specific functions. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode Microglia states and nomenclature (Nature) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to twin@microbe...
Jan 23, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 37
TWiN answers listener questions about Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma and the microbiota, Dravet’s Syndrome, schizophrenia, brain development, and chips implanted in the human brain. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS Links for this episode Letters read on TWiN 36 Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to [email protected]...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 36
Jason and Tim review the use of an implanted chronic deep brain sensing and stimulation device to carry out biomarker-driven closed-loop therapy that resulted in a rapid and sustained improvement in depression. Hosts: Jason Shepherd and Timothy Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , email Links for this episode Closed-loop neuromodulation for depression (Nat Med) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to ...
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 35
TWiN explains how central nervous system resident macrophages known as microglia coordinate cellular interactions during spinal cord repair in mice. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , email Links for this episode Microglia coordinate spinal cord repair (Nat Commun) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to [email protected]...
Sep 30, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 34
TWiN describes how neurotropic viruses leave the brain via meningeal lymphatic vessels located dorsally and basally beneath the skull. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Ori Lieberman , Jason Shepherd , and Timothy Cheung Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , email Links for this episode Meningeal lymph vessels and viral exit from brain (Nature Neuroscience) Clearing mouse brain video (YouTube) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questio...
Aug 31, 2022•58 min•Ep. 33
TWiN reviews how, in a mouse stroke model, recovery of movement is associated with the remaining cortex and the striatum coordinating their activity together. Hosts: Ori Lieberman, Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , email Links for this episode Recovery after stroke in mice (Cell Rep) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to [email protected]...
Aug 02, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 32
TWiN explains the observation that in mice, the HIV-1 co-receptor CCR5 closes the temporal window for linking different memories. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , email Links for this episode CCR5 and memory linking (Nature) Timestamps by Jolene . Thanks! Music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your neuroscience questions and comments to [email protected]...
Jun 29, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 31
TWiN describes experiments demonstrating that gut injection of alpha-synuclein fibrils in mice converts endogenous alpha-synuclein to a pathologic form that spreads to the brain and leads to features of Parkinson’s disease. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Ori Lieberman , Jason Shepherd , Timothy Cheung , and Vivianne Morrison Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , email Links for this episode Gut-brain alpha-synuclein transport in PD (Neuron) Gut has a mind of its own (Colbert Re...
May 24, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 30
