They work by drawing water into the system through a semipermeable membrane. This creates pressure inside the device, which pushes the drug out through a small opening at a controlled, steady rate. It allows consistent drug delivery over time, independent of factors like pH or movement in the body.

Aww thank you Bia! Couldn’t have done it without you 😊

On a more personal note, my contribution to this work is something I am particularly proud of when I look back on the first year of my PhD.

Here’s to lots more exciting science ahead 🥳

(And of course, feel free to contact me for the full text)

This thread can’t possibly summarize all of the amazing science that went into this paper (and all of the awesome scientists who made it possible). I highly recommend giving it a read if you have a chance!

Overall, this study emphasizes the significance of microbial diversity in early life and its potential to influence metabolic diseases like diabetes.

Interestingly, C. dub requires macrophages to increase beta cell mass. The specific composition of the fungal cell wall (specifically differences in mannan and chitin) may play a role in this process.

The microbiota also plays an important role in seeding islet-resident macrophages.

In early life, macrophages promote beta cell mass expansion. Depleting macrophages in mice reduced insulin-producing tissue, indicating their role in beta cell expansion.

Multiple microbes were found to play a role in this process including Candida dubliniensis (C. dub) but not closely related C. albicans.

Colonization of the pup with C. dub also coincided with the critical window of beta cell expansion in early life.

Germ free mouse pups had reduced beta cell mass compared to mice with a normal microbiota indicating that the microbiota plays an important role in beta cell proliferation.

In this work led by Jennifer Hill, we discovered how exposure to specific bacterial and fungal species during early life can influence pancreatic development and subsequent metabolic disease.

8/8. So, if you’re feeling down about these attacks, I understand—I feel that way too. But just remember that they’re not attacking because your work doesn’t matter; they’re attacking *precisely* because it does. So, get some rest, connect with your people, and keep doing it.

I’ll also be around for the rest of the conference if you can’t make it to my poster(s) but still want to chat!

Sunday I’ll be presenting on how Pioglitazone (a PPAR-y agonist used for treating type 2 diabetes) can modulate seizure development and immune cell infiltration/activation in the CNS in a viral-induced model (some surprising results here!)

Sunday Dec 8, 12:00-2:00, poster 532

Saturday I’ll be talking about how the gut microbiota, diet, and derived metabolites influence seizure incidence and severity as well as immune response in a viral-induced seizure model.

Saturday Dec 7, 12:00-2:00 pm, poster 084