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 researchVarious hypotheses which may explain the rise in allergiesThe work of AdriftLab, led by the wonderful Dr Jennifer Lavers‘Plasticosis’ – evidence for a new plastic-induced fibrotic diseaseThe types of plastics commonly found in seabirds and the global marine plastic loadPlastics, microplastics and their unique inflammatory potentialHow inflammation impacts the body and how plastic can make its way into cells throughout the bodyPotential implications of these findings for both humans and other wildlifeThe need for an interdisciplinary approach when researching pollution’s impact on wildlife and human healthIdentifying laboratory sources of microplastic and nanoplastic contaminationTop tips for reducing plastic exposure in daily lifePlastics as a delivery mechanism for a wide range of toxic chemicalsFuture research projects for Jack and AdriftLabTo view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.