What can we learn from animals that live life on the edge? Dr. Laurel Yohe joins the podcast to discuss her fascinating research on bats, creatures with extreme adaptations like supersonic echolocation and mysteriously resilient immune systems. The conversation explores how studying these unique animals, using everything from 100-year-old museum specimens to cutting-edge genomic sequencing, provides critical insights into evolution and the transmission of viruses. Dr. Yohe also makes a powerful case for "science for the sake of discovery," where pure curiosity can lead to the most unexpected and vital breakthroughs.

Find out more at cipher.charlotte.edu.

• Studying animals that live at biological extremes, such as in unique environments or with unusual metabolisms, provides a powerful window into the evolutionary pressures that create diversity.
• Modern research often finds success by creatively blending old and new scientific methods. For instance, basic tissue staining of a bat specimen from 1906 yielded images as clear as if the sample were fresh, showing the value of classic techniques.
• To optimize their "supersonic" echolocation abilities, the anatomy of horseshoe bats has been completely rearranged. Their throats have essentially moved up into their faces to fine-tune how they perceive the world through sound.
• Evolutionary adaptations for one purpose can have unintended consequences for other systems. The same changes that improved bat echolocation also altered the placement of immune cells in the nasal cavity, potentially affecting how they tolerate viruses.
• The risk of pathogens spreading from animals to humans increases as we encroach on wildlife habitats. This creates a greater interface between wild animals, domesticated animals, and people, raising the chances of a spillover event.
• Research driven by pure curiosity is essential because it can become unexpectedly vital. Foundational knowledge on bat noses, gathered simply out of scientific interest, suddenly became highly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This podcast was produced and edited by Zack Jackson CIPHER is a proud part of UNC Charlotte who holds all rights to the content created by this podcast

In this conversation, Dr. Danillo Augusto shares his journey from Brazil to the US, detailing his experiences with the neglected autoimmune disease Pemphigus and his current research focus on genomic equity. He discusses the importance of studying underrepresented populations in genomics and the challenges faced in addressing health disparities.

Find out more at cipher.charlotte.edu.

• Pemphigus is a neglected autoimmune disease endemic to Brazil.
• Health disparities are evident in the lack of research on diseases affecting poor populations.
• Most genomic studies focus on European ancestry, creating gaps in understanding.
• Danilo secured a significant NIH grant to study Pemphigus.
• Understanding limitations leads to better scientific partnerships.
• Team science is essential for addressing complex research questions.
• Genetic variation in immune regions is often overlooked.
• SARS-CoV-2 research revealed strong genetic associations.
• Environmental factors can trigger health issues in populations.
• Future research should focus on underrepresented genetic regions.

This podcast was produced and edited by Zack Jackson CIPHER is a proud part of UNC Charlotte who holds all rights to the content created by this podcast

Join us for an engaging conversation with Dr. Abbe LaBella, Assistant professor of Bioinformatics and Genomics at UNC Charlotte. She will take us along her journey from designing mailboxes to studying fungal genetics. Along the way, there will be deep sea adventures, genetic breakthroughs, and lessons for all stages of life.

Find out more at cipher.charlotte.edu.

• Abby actively mentors students from high school to postdoctoral levels.
• Her deep-sea research involved collecting samples using the submersible Alvin.
• Abby's lab focuses on understanding the implications of genomic variation.
• Silent mutations, once thought inconsequential, can influence disease outcomes.
• The field of codon usage bias is relatively new and evolving.
• Machine learning can uncover patterns in genetic data without bias.
• The importance of tRNAs in protein synthesis is often overlooked.
• The NIH grant will focus on understanding silent synonymous data in yeast.

This podcast was produced and edited by Zack Jackson CIPHER is a proud part of UNC Charlotte who holds all rights to the content created by this podcast