Joining us for his second appearance on the show, Dr Jack Auty is a lecturer in the Medical Sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of Tasmania. Jack leads research on the intricate connections between inflammation and disease. With a diverse array of interests, ranging from the impact of microplastics on lung and gut inflammation to the potential use of common anti-inflammatories in treating Alzheimer's disease, Jack's work is at the forefront of medical research.

If this is your first introduction to Dr Auty, please take time to listen to his first podcast episode with us here, as it will give you a more detailed background on his fascinating work to date. In this episode we focus in on Jack’s work with AdriftLab, where he’s been looking at wildlife impacted by microplastic exposure and the ability of plastic to directly induce severe, organ-wide scar tissue formation.

In this episode we discuss:

• Jack’s background and previous research
• Various hypotheses which may explain the rise in allergies
• The work of AdriftLab, led by the wonderful Dr Jennifer Lavers
• ‘Plasticosis’ – evidence for a new plastic-induced fibrotic disease
• The types of plastics commonly found in seabirds and the global marine plastic load
• Plastics, microplastics and their unique inflammatory potential
• How inflammation impacts the body and how plastic can make its way into cells throughout the body
• Potential implications of these findings for both humans and other wildlife
• The need for an interdisciplinary approach when researching pollution’s impact on wildlife and human health
• Identifying laboratory sources of microplastic and nanoplastic contamination
• Top tips for reducing plastic exposure in daily life
• Plastics as a delivery mechanism for a wide range of toxic chemicals
• Future research projects for Jack and AdriftLab

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.