Matthew Merrins on Amino Acid Sensing, Noah Levi & Alejandro Caicedo on controlling pancreatic cell function through muscarinic receptor signaling, plus "Sweet Talk" about the upcoming Scientific Sessions with Mark Atkinson

Welcome to the March 2026 episode of DiabetesBio—the American Diabetes Association's podcast for its flagship research publication, Diabetes. In this episode of DiabetesBio, Drs. Kirk Habegger, Darleen Sandoval, and Kevin Williams discuss the latest and greatest content in the March 2026 issue of Diabetes. 8:15 Kirk speaks with Matthew Merrins, PhD, Joseph F. Hoffman Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Yale School of Medicine. He is senior author on the article "Amino Acid Sensing by the α-Cell Mitochondrial Phosphoenolpyruvate Cycle Regulates Intracellular Ca2+Levels Without Affecting Glucagon Secretion," available at doi.org/10.2337/db25-0510. 29:25 Next, Darleen is joined by Noah Levi, an MD-PhD student in the group of Alejandro Caicedo, PhD, professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. They are corresponding authors of the article "Activating Muscarinic Receptor Signaling in Intrapancreatic Neurons Is Required for Parasympathetic Cholinergic Control of Pancreatic Cell Function," available at doi.org/10.2337/db25-0604. 51:20 In the latest edition of "Sweet Talk," Kevin speaks with Mark Atkinson, PhD, about the American Diabetes Association's annual conference, Scientific Sessions. Atkinson is Eminent Scholar for Diabetes Research at the University of Florida and chair of the Scientific Sessions Programming Committee. More information about this year's Scientific Sessions, taking place June 5-8 in New Orleans, is available at professional.diabetes.org/scientific-sessions. To learn more about Diabetes and DiabetesBio, please visit diabetesjournals.org/diabetes. Thank you for listening, and don't forget to smash that "follow" button!