Tick, Tick, Boom‪!‬ TiARA.org.au

In this episode, We speak with Professors Antony Basten and Daniel Christ, as well as Dr David Langley at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, Australia. Where they guide us through the research being done on the alpha-gal molecule and why the Garvan Institute is so interested in understanding it. We talk about everything from how an understanding of alpha-gal could help us better prevent diseases such as malaria, to how tick-induced sensitisation to alpha-gal is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease.

In this episode, I speak with Professor Sheryl van Nunen to unravel the mystery behind a startling association: a history of tick bites and the subsequent onset of often life-threatening allergic reactions to a sugar known as alpha-gal found in mammalian products such as beef, dairy, and pork. Professor van Nunen guides us through the early days of this novel allergy’s discovery and the impact this has had on the world. We’ll also explore how mammalian meat allergy is unique — it’s both preventable and potentially curable. How, you ask? By preventing tick bites and safely removing ticks if you do get bitten. With Professor van Nunen’s science-backed strategies, this can be easily achieved.