Berry Flavored Vapes Paralyze Lung Immunity; World’s Oldest Kefir Cheese; Naked Clam Aquaculture; and a Temporary Moon: The Naked Scientists

Overview

The Naked Scientists explore cutting edge science across health, archaeology, food technology, and space. The episode highlights a berry flavored vape study showing impaired lung macrophage movement in mice, the discovery of kefir cheese on ancient Tarim Basin mummies, a Cambridge AI driven naked clam aquaculture concept, and a near-Earth asteroid that may briefly act as a temporary moon.

• berry flavored vaping impairs alveolar macrophage mobility in mice, potentially affecting lung defense
• combination of berry vape chemicals required for the effect; menthol flavor does not replicate it
• DNA analysis identifies kefir cheese on Tarim Basin mummies, shedding light on ancient dairy practices
• AI-assisted naked clam aquaculture could provide a sustainable protein source from waste wood

Overview

The latest Naked Scientists episode threads together four main stories spanning health, archaeology, food technology, and astronomy. The program opens with a study on E-cigarette flavored berry vapes and the immune system of the lungs, moves to the Tarim Basin where scientists argue kefir cheese is the oldest surviving cheese, then shifts to Cambridge researchers who are testing a new farmable naked clam using AI to gauge consumer taste and sustainability, and closes with a space segment explaining a near-Earth asteroid’s close approach and its possible lunar origins. The episodes illustrate how interdisciplinary science connects molecules, organisms, culture and the cosmos.

Berry flavored vaping and lung immunity

The featured study, published in PNAS, investigates how berry flavored e-cigarettes affect alveolar macrophages in live mice using intravital microscopy. The researchers expose mice to berry flavored vape products and track immune cell movement in the lungs. They find that berry vape exposure largely halts macrophage movement between alveolar spaces, impairing the cells’ ability to clear bacteria that land in adjacent spaces. The team’s imaging shows macrophages struggling to squeeze into neighboring alveolar spaces after berry vape exposure, resulting in greater bacterial growth and poorer outcomes in infected animals. A key nuance is that the full berry flavor blend, not individual isolated chemicals, appears necessary to produce the effect; menthol did not replicate the inhibition. The researchers discuss the relevance to real world vaping products marketed to youth and the potential for flavors to compromise respiratory defense mechanisms. The study contributes to the broader question of how flavor additives might influence immune function in the lungs, beyond known risks such as vitamin E acetate, which has been banned in many jurisdictions. Ajita Thanabalasuria and Erica Pence led the research, with Pence affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan and Thanabalasuri from McGill University.

World’s oldest kefir cheese in Tarim Basin remains

The episode then shifts to archaeology where researchers describe a 3,600 year old dairy product found smeared on the heads and necks of Bronze Age mummies in northwest China’s Tarim Basin. Advances in DNA sequencing of the cheese and kefir grains reveal the dairy product is kefir cheese, fermented from both goat and cow milk. Emma Pomeroy of the University of Cambridge provides context for the Tarim Basin mummies, whose appearance and origins have long puzzled researchers. DNA analysis identifies the microbial communities involved in kefir fermentation, as well as the animal origins and husbandry practices that supported such fermentation. The discussion situates this finding among other early evidence for cheese making, noting that ceramic pots in Europe yield cheese proteins dating back about 7,000 years, while Tarim Basin kefir cheese is among the oldest surviving actual cheese specimens. The results align with archaeological evidence of nomadic herding and dairy use, and imply complex food processing practices among ancient North Eurasian populations.

Naked clam aquaculture and AI taste testing

The program’s next feature is a Cambridge based project exploring the world’s first lab scale naked clam aquaculture system. The researchers culture wood-eating clams (aka Pterodinid) in a wood matrix within a container scale facility, aiming to produce a nutrient rich protein source. The clams’ taste profile changes with the type of wood used; oak produces a different flavor than teak or pine, with oysters and wood contributing to the overall profile. Nutritional analyses show the clams are rich in protein and contain high levels of B12, and algal feed could boost omega-3 content. The team uses AI to analyze social media videos and comments to gauge consumer receptivity; prior to tasting, opinions were roughly split, but after trying naked clams, about 84% expressed liking the product, suggesting a promising path for acceptance of novel, sustainable foods. The discussion also covers production throughput, safety considerations for mass farming and disease control through a wood colonization design that promotes a limited number of clams per wood matrix, keeping colonies from overgrowth. The interview with David Willer details the concept, production pipeline, and potential culinary applications, including curried forms and fish cakes.

Temporary moon science: 2024 PT5

The episode turns to space with Cambridge space scientist Matt Bothwell explaining the near Earth asteroid 2024 PT5, a roughly 10 meter object that will approach Earth and enter a temporary gravitational zone. It will not become a true moon, because it will only make a fleeting close approach and will not complete an orbit. The object will follow a horseshoe shaped trajectory around the Earth and will remain far beyond the distance of the Moon, making detection unlikely without powerful telescopes. Scientists detect such objects through routine sky surveys for potentially hazardous near-Earth objects. The discussion covers the likelihood of any risk and the possibility that the object is lunar ejecta released from a past impact, a familiar idea given similar events in 2020 and 2022. The segment clarifies why a temporary satellite is not equivalent to a moon and places these events within the broader context of solar system dynamics and orbital stability.

Listener questions: burying dead animals and snails

The program ends with listener questions addressed by Malcolm Bennett from the University of Nottingham. One listener asks if burying a dead animal in a garden could contaminate edible crops. Bennett explains that most decay microbes are not pathogenic, and in general burying small pets on private land is permissible in the UK, provided there is no anthrax in the animal and the burial area complies with local law. He also cautions about possible water contamination from decomposition byproducts. Another listener asks if snails can get dizzy, which leads into an invitation for future inquiries. The host closes by inviting questions and teasing a future show on the long-term legacy of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Conclusion

The episode demonstrates how one program can weave together disparate scientific threads—immunology, archaeology, food science, and astronomy—into a coherent narrative about discovery, innovation, and the evolving relationship between science and society.