In this episode, we explore the next generation of polymeric drug carriers, made from sustainably sourced glycerol and diglycerol. Researchers are replacing traditional PEGylated polymers with innovative glycerol-based polyesters and copolyesters that are biodegradable, biocompatible, and free from PEG-related immunogenic risks.

We cover four recent studies investigating how changes to the polymer backbone—like adding hydrophobic diols or tweaking amphiphilicity—dramatically affect nanoparticle formation, drug encapsulation, and in vivo performance.

🔍 Key Topics Covered: • The rise of poly(glycerol adipate) (PGA) and poly(diglycerol adipate) (PDGA) as eco-friendly drug carriers • How backbone modifications (adding 1,6-hexanediol or altering hydrophilicity) fine-tune nanoparticle properties • Chitosan-based nanoparticles for delivering sodium usnate in osteosarcoma therapy, combining drug delivery with cancer suppression • Advanced stability, encapsulation, and whole-organism (Caenorhabditis elegans) biocompatibility testing of these smart polymers • Why these next-generation biodegradable polyesters could replace PEG in future medicines

📖 Based on 4 Research Articles: 1. Poly (diglycerol adipate) variants as enhanced nanocarrier replacements in drug delivery applications – Jacob et al., 2023  2. Glycerol- and diglycerol-based polyesters: Evaluation of backbone alterations upon nano-formulation performance – Axioti et al., 2024  3. Self-assembled chitosan-sodium usnate drug delivery nanosystems: Synthesis, characterisation, stability, cytotoxicity, and biocompatibility against 143B cells – Brugnoli et al., 2023  4. Glycerol-Based Copolyesters as Polymeric Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery – D’Anna et al., 2025 

🎧 Subscribe to the WoRM Podcast for more discoveries at the interface of polymer science, drug delivery, and whole-organism research!

This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 ⁠www.veerenchauhan.com⁠ 📧 [email protected]

Tracking drug delivery inside cells is a challenge when the drug carrier itself is invisible. In this episode, we discuss a breakthrough in polymer science: the creation of fluorescent poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles using a one-step, solvent-free dye-initiated polymerisation process. By covalently attaching dyes (blue, green, or red) to every PLGA chain, these nanoparticles become intrinsically fluorescent—meaning their position can be accurately tracked inside cells and tissues, without the risk of dye leakage. This study shows how these fluorescent PLGA nanoparticles behave in: Human THP-1 macrophages, where they were tracked using super-resolution microscopy.Live Caenorhabditis elegans, where their journey through the digestive tract was mapped.Drug delivery experiments, where the release of the anticancer drug doxorubicin was simultaneously tracked alongside the polymer carrier.This innovation offers a powerful new tool for researchers studying drug delivery, vaccine carriers, and polymer biodistribution. 📖 Based on the research article:"Facile Dye-Initiated Polymerization of Lactide–Glycolide Generates Highly Fluorescent Poly(lactic-co-glycolic Acid) for Enhanced Characterization of Cellular Delivery"Mohammad A. Al-Natour, Mohamed D. Yousif, Robert Cavanagh, Amjad Abouselo, Edward A. Apebende, Amir Ghaemmaghami, Dong-Hyun Kim, Jonathan W. Aylott, Vincenzo Taresco, Veeren M. Chauhan & Cameron Alexander. Published in ACS Macro Letters (2020).🔗 Read the full paper 🎧 Subscribe to the WoRM Podcast for more discoveries at the interface of polymers, drug delivery, and whole-organism research! This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com 📧 [email protected]

Can a normally bacteria-feeding nematode become a blood-feeder? In this episode, we dive into the surprising world of haematophagic Caenorhabditis elegans — worms that can consume human blood. This research explores how feeding C. elegans a diet of erythrocytes (red blood cells) could help accelerate vaccine development for parasitic infections like hookworm disease.

By studying the enzymes used by these worms to digest haemoglobin and detoxify haem, scientists are unlocking new ways to test anti-parasite vaccines — all without needing live hookworms.

🔍 Key Topics Covered: • How C. elegans can ingest and survive on a diet of human blood • Using fluorescently labelled red blood cells to track feeding behaviour • Comparing digestive enzymes of C. elegans to those of Necator americanus, a major human parasite • Why this breakthrough could help identify and test new vaccine candidates

📖 Based on the research article: “Haematophagic Caenorhabditis elegans” Veeren M. Chauhan & David I. Pritchard. Published in Parasitology (2019). 🔗 Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182018001518

Join us to discover how turning a free-living nematode into a blood-feeder could reshape vaccine research for parasitic diseases!

🎧 Subscribe to the WoRM Podcast for more surprising stories at the intersection of parasitology, biotechnology, and innovation.

This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com 📧 [email protected]

How does a tiny hookworm outsmart the human immune system? In this episode, we explore the physicochemical fingerprint of Necator americanus, a parasite that infects millions worldwide. Using cutting-edge techniques like atomic force microscopy (AFM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), researchers reveal how the hookworm’s sheath and cuticle surfaces play a crucial role in immune evasion and infection.

🔍 Key Topics Covered: • The unique surface properties of N. americanus at the infective L3 stage • How the hookworm’s sheath diverts immune defences, aiding reinfection • The role of nano-annuli in enhancing adhesion and survival • How surface chemistry, including heparan sulphate and phosphatidylglycerol, influences parasite migration

📖 Based on the research article: “The Physicochemical Fingerprint of Necator americanus”** Veeren M. Chauhan, David J. Scurr, Thomas Christie, Gary Telford, Jonathan W. Aylott, David I. Pritchard. Published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2017). 🔗 Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005971

Join us as we discuss how surface biochemistry influences parasite survival, reinfection, and potential future treatments!

🎧 Subscribe to the WoRM Podcast for more deep dives into cutting-edge parasitology research!

This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com 📧 [email protected]

Did you know that digestion in C. elegans follows a rhythmic pH cycle? In this episode, we explore how magic nanosensors uncover real-time intestinal pH oscillations inside these tiny nematodes. By mapping the gut’s acidic landscape, researchers reveal how proton pumps, digestion, and metabolism work together in a synchronised chemical dance—offering new insights for biomedicine and drug discovery.

🔍 Key Topics Covered: • How pH-sensitive nanosensors track acidity in living organisms • The real-time pH oscillations inside the C. elegans gut • The role of proton pumps and metabolism in digestion • How this discovery could impact gut health and biomedical research

📖 Based on the research article: “Mapping the Pharyngeal and Intestinal pH of Caenorhabditis elegans and Real-Time Luminal pH Oscillations Using Extended Dynamic Range pH-Sensitive Nanosensors” Veeren M. Chauhan, Gianni Orsi, Alan Brown, David I. Pritchard, Jonathan W. Aylott. Published in ACS Nano (2013). 🔗 Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1021/nn401856u

Join us as we uncover how pH-shifting nanosensors are revolutionising our understanding of digestion and metabolism!

🎧 Subscribe to the WoRM Podcast for more deep dives into frontier science!

This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com 📧 [email protected]

In this episode, we uncover a revolutionary approach to imaging the hidden mechanical properties of biological surfaces using Label-Free Brillouin Endo-Microscopy. Unlike traditional imaging techniques that rely on fluorescent labels, this method provides quantitative 3D viscoelastic mapping at the sub-micrometre scale—offering unprecedented insights into biological structures.

🔍 Key Topics Covered: • How Brillouin scattering enables real-time mechanical imaging of living tissue • First-ever 3D stiffness mapping of Caenorhabditis elegans cuticle in situ • Potential applications for non-invasive diagnostics and disease research • The future of elasticity-based biomedical imaging

📖 Based on the research article: “Label-Free Brillouin Endo-Microscopy for the Quantitative 3D Imaging of Sub-Micrometre Biology” Salvatore La Cavera III, Veeren M. Chauhan, et al. Published in Communications Biology (2024). 🔗 Read it here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06126-4

Join us as we explore how this breakthrough could transform biomedical imaging, mechanobiology, and in vivo diagnostics!

🎧 Subscribe to the WoRM Podcast for more deep dives into groundbreaking research!

This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com 📧 [email protected]

In this episode, we explore how microgravity affects muscle structure and function, using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. Spaceflight-induced muscle atrophy is a major challenge for astronauts, and understanding the molecular and genetic mechanisms behind these changes is key to developing countermeasures.

This discussion is based on the review article: “Advancing Insights into Microgravity-Induced Muscle Changes Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model Organism” Beckett LJ, Williams PM, Toh LS, Hessel V, Gerstweiler L, Fisk I, Toronjo-Urquiza L, Chauhan VM. Published in npj Microgravity (2024). 📖 Read the full paper: ⁠https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00418-z⁠

🔬 Learn how C. elegans provides unique insights into metabolic changes, gene expression, and protein regulation during spaceflight, offering potential strategies to counteract muscle degradation.

🌍 Follow for more research-based discussions on nematodes, space biology, and biomedical science.

This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com 📧 [email protected]

Surface Lipids in Nematodes are Influenced by Development and Species-specific Adaptations

This research utilizes 3D-OrbiSIMS to analyze the surface lipids of nematodes, specifically Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus, revealing their complex chemical compositions. Surface lipids are found to be developmentally dependent and species-specific, highlighting evolutionary adaptations. The study identifies that the peroxisomal β-oxidation pathway, particularly the enzyme DAF-22, is crucial for defining the surface molecular fingerprint and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, altered surface lipid composition in daf-22 mutants increases their susceptibility to predation, demonstrating the role of surface lipids in interspecies interactions and defense mechanisms. These findings enhance our understanding of nematode surface chemistry and its influence on behavior and survival.2025 AM Kotowska, F Hiramatsu, MR Alexander, DJ Scurr, JW Lightfoot, Veeren M Chauhan* “Surface Lipids in Nematodes are Influenced by Development and Species-specific Adaptations” JACShttps://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.4c12519 This podcast is generated with artificial intelligence and curated by Veeren. If you’d like your publication featured on the show, please get in touch.

📩 More info: 🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com 📧 [email protected]