From Mendel's peas to personal genome sequencing, Genetics Unzipped brings you stories from the world of genes, genomes and DNA. In association with The Genetics Society.
Living with the Eugenic Past: Michele Goodwin
This podcast is part of a miniseries of interviews with speakers from the 2022 annual conference of the Adelphi Genetics Forum - a learned society that aims to promote research and discussion concerning the scientific understanding of human heredity. Formerly known as the Galton Institute, and before that, the Eugenics Education Society, the society has changed its name to the Adelphi Genetics Forum to firmly reject and distance itself from the discredited and damaging ideas of its namesake, Francis Galton – widely viewed as the founder of eugenics.The last lecture of the day was given by Michele Goodwin - Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy at the University of California Irvine, and also a senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Her talk focused on how the long shadow of eugenics and white supremacy persists into the present day and remain embedded in contemporary political frameworks, and why this pernicious ideology is taking so long to die. So, how does she start thinking about such a complex and challenging topic?You can find out more about the Adelphi Genetics Forum, including their grants, awards and publications, at adelphigenetics.org You can check out the rest of this series on the Genetics Unzipped podcast feed – just search for Genetics Unzipped on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This series was produced by the team at First Create The Media – that’s Kat Arney, Sally Le Page and Emma Werner, with help from Ed Prosser and Frankie Pike. Our music is Drops of H2O by J. Lang, licensed under Creative Commons.
11/27/2022 • 17 minutes, 36 seconds
Living with the Eugenic Past: Joe Cain
This podcast is part of a miniseries of interviews with speakers from the 2022 annual conference of the Adelphi Genetics Forum - a learned society that aims to promote research and discussion concerning the scientific understanding of human heredity. Formerly known as the Galton Institute, and before that, the Eugenics Education Society, the society has changed its name to the Adelphi Genetics Forum to firmly reject and distance itself from the discredited and damaging ideas of its namesake, Francis Galton – widely viewed as the founder of eugenics.Much of Francis Galton’s academic life is associated with University College London, or UCL, and he bequeathed not only his archive but also an endowment for the UK’s first professorial chair in Eugenics. The University’s Galton Laboratory was finally folded into a larger department of genetics, evolution and environment in 2013, and the Galton Lecture theatre was only renamed in 2020. So why did Galton’s name persist for so long? And, looking back, why was he even supported by the University in the first place? These are exactly the kinds of questions that Joe Cain, Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology at UCL, has been trying to answer.You can find out more about the Adelphi Genetics Forum, including their grants, awards and publications, at adelphigenetics.org You can check out the rest of this series on the Genetics Unzipped podcast feed – just search for Genetics Unzipped on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This series was produced by the team at First Create The Media – that’s Kat Arney, Sally Le Page and Emma Werner, with help from Ed Prosser and Frankie Pike. Our music is Drops of H2O by J. Lang, licensed under Creative Commons.
11/26/2022 • 16 minutes, 19 seconds
Living with the Eugenic Past: Anneke Lucassen
This podcast is part of a miniseries of interviews with speakers from the 2022 annual conference of the Adelphi Genetics Forum - a learned society that aims to promote research and discussion concerning the scientific understanding of human heredity. Formerly known as the Galton Institute, and before that, the Eugenics Education Society, the society has changed its name to the Adelphi Genetics Forum to firmly reject and distance itself from the discredited and damaging ideas of its namesake, Francis Galton – widely viewed as the founder of eugenics.Anneke Lucassen is Professor of Genomic Medicine & Director of the Centre for Personalised Medicine at the University of Oxford and Professor of Clinical Genetics at the University of Southampton. Her talk, titled “Genomic Medicine, Diverse Data and the Language of Race, Ancestry and Ethnicity” explored the issues caused by a lack of diversity in genomic databases, and the challenges of addressing this in a way that doesn’t cause additional injustice and harm. Kat Arney started by asking why it’s so necessary to do this work.You can find out more about the Adelphi Genetics Forum, including their grants, awards and publications, at adelphigenetics.org You can check out the rest of this series on the Genetics Unzipped podcast feed – just search for Genetics Unzipped on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This series was produced by the team at First Create The Media – that’s Kat Arney, Sally Le Page and Emma Werner, with help from Ed Prosser and Frankie Pike. Our music is Drops of H2O by J. Lang, licensed under Creative Commons.
11/25/2022 • 14 minutes, 28 seconds
Living with the Eugenic Past: Brian Donovan
This podcast is part of a miniseries of interviews with speakers from the 2022 annual conference of the Adelphi Genetics Forum - a learned society that aims to promote research and discussion concerning the scientific understanding of human heredity. Formerly known as the Galton Institute, and before that, the Eugenics Education Society, the society has changed its name to the Adelphi Genetics Forum to firmly reject and distance itself from the discredited and damaging ideas of its namesake, Francis Galton – widely viewed as the founder of eugenics.Dr Brian Donovan is a senior research scientist at BSCS Science learning – the oldest science education non-profit organisation in the United States. They have a long history in teaching biology, having been developing biology curricula for over 50 years, and were responsible for reintroducing evolution into American high school biology textbooks. His talk explored how better understanding of genetics and genomics in schools can help to dismantle white supremacist culture. Kat Arney started by asking Brian how his interest in biology education intersects with the topic of eugenics.You can find out more about the Adelphi Genetics Forum, including their grants, awards and publications, at adelphigenetics.org You can check out the rest of this series on the Genetics Unzipped podcast feed – just search for Genetics Unzipped on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This series was produced by the team at First Create The Media – that’s Kat Arney, Sally Le Page and Emma Werner, with help from Ed Prosser and Frankie Pike. Our music is Drops of H2O by J. Lang, licensed under Creative Commons.
11/24/2022 • 14 minutes, 31 seconds
Living with the Eugenic Past: Adam Rutherford
This podcast is part of a miniseries of interviews with speakers from the 2022 annual conference of the Adelphi Genetics Forum - a learned society that aims to promote research and discussion concerning the scientific understanding of human heredity. Formerly known as the Galton Institute, and before that, the Eugenics Education Society, the society has changed its name to the Adelphi Genetics Forum to firmly reject and distance itself from the discredited and damaging ideas of its namesake, Francis Galton – widely viewed as the founder of eugenics.Dr Adam Rutherford is a writer and broadcaster, and is an honorary senior research associate at University College London, where he first trained as a geneticist in what was then known as the Galton laboratory. He’s the author of the recent book Control, which explores the dark past and troubling present of eugenics, and gave this year’s Adelphi Lecture on ‘Eugenics and the misuse of Mendel’. To begin our conversation, I asked him where Galton’s ideas originally came from.You can find out more about the Adelphi Genetics Forum, including their grants, awards and publications, at adelphigenetics.org You can check out the rest of this series on the Genetics Unzipped podcast feed – just search for Genetics Unzipped on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This series was produced by the team at First Create The Media – that’s Kat Arney, Sally Le Page and Emma Werner, with help from Ed Prosser and Frankie Pike. Our music is Drops of H2O by J. Lang, licensed under Creative Commons.
11/23/2022 • 16 minutes, 46 seconds
Living with the Eugenic Past: Elaine Riddick
CONTENT NOTE: This interview includes discussion of rape, forced sterilisation and first-hand experience of state-sanctioned eugenic policies.This podcast is part of a miniseries of interviews with speakers from the 2022 annual conference of the Adelphi Genetics Forum - a learned society that aims to promote research and discussion concerning the scientific understanding of human heredity. Formerly known as the Galton Institute, and before that, the Eugenics Education Society, the society has changed its name to the Adelphi Genetics Forum to firmly reject and distance itself from the discredited and damaging ideas of its namesake, Francis Galton – widely viewed as the founder of eugenics.Elaine Riddick – a Black woman who grew up in North Carolina - was kidnapped and raped and became pregnant at the age of just 13. Nine months later, in 1968, she was forcibly sterilised by the state without her knowledge during the process of having her son Tony, now a successful businessman. She was not the only one. Tens of thousands of people were sterilised in the US as a result of eugenic policies in the decades following the second world war. Today, Elaine is a steadfast campaigner for women’s rights, and is the Executive Director of the Rebecca Project for Justice, dedicated to protecting life, dignity and freedom for people in the US and Africa. Kat Arney asked her to share her story.You can find out more about the Adelphi Genetics Forum, including their grants, awards and publications, at adelphigenetics.org You can check out the rest of this series on the Genetics Unzipped podcast feed – just search for Genetics Unzipped on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This series was produced by the team at First Create The Media – that’s Kat Arney, Sally Le Page and Emma Werner, with help from Ed Prosser and Frankie Pike. Our music is Drops of H2O by J. Lang, licensed under Creative Commons.
11/22/2022 • 16 minutes, 37 seconds
Living with the Eugenic Past: Turi King
This podcast is part of a miniseries of interviews with speakers from the 2022 annual conference of the Adelphi Genetics Forum - a learned society that aims to promote research and discussion concerning the scientific understanding of human heredity. Formerly known as the Galton Institute, and before that, the Eugenics Education Society, the society has changed its name to the Adelphi Genetics Forum to firmly reject and distance itself from the discredited and damaging ideas of its namesake, Francis Galton – widely viewed as the founder of eugenics.In this first episode, I spoke to Turi King, the President of the Adelphi Genetics Forum and Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics in the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology at the University of Leicester, to discover the story of the society and why it was finally time to change its name. You can find out more about the Adelphi Genetics Forum, including their grants, awards and publications, at adelphigenetics.org You can check out the rest of this series on the Genetics Unzipped podcast feed – just search for Genetics Unzipped on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This series was produced by the team at First Create The Media – that’s Kat Arney, Sally Le Page and Emma Werner, with help from Ed Prosser and Frankie Pike. Our music is Drops of H2O by J. Lang, licensed under Creative Commons.
11/21/2022 • 11 minutes, 9 seconds
Suffrage Science: Dr Tamsin Edwards
An interview with climate scientist Dr Tamsin Edwards from the Suffrage Science podcast: How women are changing science, from the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences Suffrage Science scheme.Subscribe to the Suffrage Science podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts to get the rest. Find out more about the Suffrage Science scheme at suffragescience.org and get full transcripts from suffragescience.org/podcast.
4/1/2021 • 33 minutes, 39 seconds
Genetics Shambles 12: 9 Lessons and Carols for Socially Distanced People
AudioEDITREMOVEThe last episode of Genetics Shambles comes from the Cosmic Shambles 25-hour marathon event, 9 Lessons and Carols for Socially Distanced People, broadcast live on Saturday 12th through to Sunday 13th December 2020. Shambler-In-Chief Robin Ince chats with geneticist Emma Hodcroft, medical doctor Kevin Fong and immunology expert Dan Davis about what we’ve learned over the past year about COVID-19, vaccines and the way ahead. To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
12/24/2020 • 39 minutes, 33 seconds
Are my hormones making me fat? Hormones: The Inside Story
We bring you a sneak peek of a new science podcast that you might also enjoy, brought to you by the Society for Endocrinology and produced by First Create the Media - the team behind Genetics Unzipped. Presented by Georgia Mills, Hormones: The Inside Story uncovers the truth about how hormones affect stress, sleep, body fat, fertility and almost every aspect of our daily lives and health in this new, expert-led, myth-busting show. Available now on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Enjoy!
12/3/2020 • 28 minutes, 41 seconds
Genetics Shambles 11: In conversation with Prof Steve Jones
Robin Ince sits down for a chat with Steve Jones, Emeritus Professor of Human Genetics at UCL. Steve is one of the foremost and most popular science writers on the subject of evolution and genetics and is also a world-leading expert on snails.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
11/26/2020 • 42 minutes, 31 seconds
Genetics Shambles 10: In conversation with Prof Aoife McLysaght
Robin Ince sits down for a chat with Aoife McLysaght, Professor in the Molecular Evolution Laboratory of the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, University of Dublin, Trinity College and one of the 2018 Royal Institution Christmas Lecturers.This series of Genetics Shambles is presented in association with The Genetics Society and The Milner Centre for Evolution. Find out more at CosmicShambles.com.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
11/12/2020 • 49 minutes, 48 seconds
Genetics Shambles 9: The ethics of genetics
Whenever the topic of genetics is mentioned this is always a question of ethics not far behind. Whether that is in Stem Cell research, genetic modification or even basic healthcare.In this show Robin chats to two experts in the field. Dr Sarah Chan is Chancellor’s Fellow in Ethics and Science Communicator in The Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh. Professor Anna Middleton leads the Society and Ethics Research Group in Connecting Science. She is also Professor/Affiliate Lecturer at Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
10/29/2020 • 53 minutes, 10 seconds
Genetics Shambles 8: New genetic technologies
Genetic technologies are improving all the time. Not just in sequencing, but in ways that improve our lives. From better crops to curing diseases. And, by pure chance, just hours before we went live with this show it was announced that Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna had won the 2020 Nobel Prize for chemistry for their work with CRISPR and the technology of genome editing.Robin Ince chats to two experts in the field. Professor Alison Bentley leads the National Institute of Agricultural Biology’s genetics and breeding department within Cambridge Crop Research and Dr Tony Nolan is a molecular biologist at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine working with Target Malaria.
10/15/2020 • 50 minutes, 35 seconds
Genetics Shambles 7: COVID expert panel 3
Every couple of months we gather a new panel of experts for a Q&A on where things are at with our current understanding of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With so much misinformation out there it’s important that you, the public and viewers, get a change to ask a panel of experts directly and unfiltered.For this, volume 3 of our COVID-19 Q&As Robin is joined by three experts. Dr Emma Hodcroft is a researcher at the University of Basel in Switzerland working on sequencing and builds of SARS-CoV-2. Dan Davis is a Professor of Immunology at the University of Manchester and the best selling author of The Beautiful Cure. And Dr Nisreen Alwan is an epidemiologist and Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Southampton.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
10/1/2020 • 1 hour, 16 minutes, 24 seconds
Genetics Shambles 6: Dealing with pathogens
Bacteria are all around us, and inside us. Some of these of these are fine, even good, but others are pathogens and cause disease. How do they evolve and how are we learning to cope with them through new research. And are we in danger of a new age of antibiotic resistance?Robin Ince is joined by three experts in the field. Dr Siouxsie Wiles is a microbiologist specialising in infectious diseases at the University of Auckland and has been one of the most prominent public faces of New Zealand’s world leading COVID-19 response. Dr Jenny Rohn is a cell biologist at UCL where she runs a research lab looking at microbiological infections, particularly in the urinary tract. And Lavanya Mane is the final year of her PhD research at the Francis Crick Institute looking into the metabolic interactions between bacterial pathogens.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
9/17/2020 • 55 minutes, 10 seconds
Genetics Shambles 5: The evolution of cancer
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in humans globally. But the catch all term of ‘cancer’ is often misunderstood. So what exactly is this cell disease that impacts so many of our lives? How long has it been around? How does it spread? What is our current understanding of its evolution and genetics? And the big question many of us have, where are we at with our fight against it?Robin Ince is joined by three experts in the field. Dr Kat Arney is a writer and presenter and former spokesperson for Cancer Research UK. Her book Rebel Cell, on the evolution of cancer, has just been released. Dr Mariam Jamal-Hanjani is a Clinical Associate Professor/Honorary Consultant at the Research Department of Oncology at UCL and a visiting scientist at the Francis Crick Institute’s Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory. And Dr Samra Turajlic is a clinical group leader and oncologist studying cancer evolution at the Francis Crick Institute.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
9/3/2020 • 59 minutes, 5 seconds
Genetics Shambles 4: The sequence of everything
Over the first four episodes of this series we’ve looked at COVID-19, historic epidemics, human evolution and the human genome and in each episode we’ve invariably talked about ‘sequencing’. Sequencing genomes and DNA of living things. So we thought it time to discuss the very act of sequencing itself. What is it, how do we do it, why do we do it and how can we get better at as technology improves.Robin Ince is joined by three experts in the field. Professor Jay Shendure is a human geneticist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and is one of the world’s pioneers in exome sequencing. Dr Lucy Van Dorp is a Senior Research Fellow at the University College London Genomic Institute working on infectious diseases and ancient DNA. And Professor Mark Blaxter is an evolutionary biologist at the Sanger Institute where he’s the Leader of the Tree of Life Project.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
8/20/2020 • 54 minutes, 55 seconds
Genetics Shambles 3: Humans - Evolved and evolving
Over millions of years Humans have evolved into becoming quite the dominant species on the planet. So, how did we get to now? What have we come from and how are we still evolving as a species? And what changes can we expect in the future in terms of diet, life span and population?Robin Ince is joined by three experts in the field. Professor Chris Stringer is an anthropologist and Research Leader in Human Evolution at the Natural History Museum in London. Dr Becky Wragg Sykes is an archaeologist, writer and expert in Neanderthals. And Dr Aida Andres Moran is an Associate Professor in Genetics, Evolution & Environment at University College London.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
8/6/2020 • 53 minutes, 30 seconds
Genetics Shambles 2: A guide to the human genome
The Human Genome Project has been referred to as one of the great feats of scientific exploration and discovery in human history. But what was it, and, more to the point, what is the human genome and why was sequencing it such a big deal? And in 2020, some 17 years after it was deemed completed, what has it helped us with in the fields of biology and medicine, and what is there still to discover?Robin Ince is joined by three experts in the field. Geneticist, broadcast and author of a number of best selling books on the subject, Dr Adam Rutherford, one of the founders of the Human Cell Atlas Group and the Head of Cellular Genetics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Dr Sarah Teichmann and co-chair of the 1000 Genomes Project and founder of Genomics plc, Professor Gil McVean.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
7/23/2020 • 0
Genetics Shambles 1: COVID-19 and Learning from the Past
What can research into past viruses and epidemics tell us about this new pandemic of COVID-19? What has changed in the world of genetics research since the time of HIV for example? Robin Ince chats to Dr Emma Hodcroft, a phylogenetics researcher from the University of Bath and Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, pharmacologist, geneticist and the NHS Chair of Pharmacogenetics at the University of Liverpool.To view previous episodes in the Genetics Shambles series head to Cosmicshambles.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip
7/9/2020 • 51 minutes, 21 seconds
028 - Sperm wars, sneaky sheep, substandard stallions and more
In this episode we’re bringing you highlights from the Society’s Centenary Conference, held up in Edinburgh last month. We’ve got stories of sneaky sheep, substandard racing stallions, the Vikings of the Scottish Isles and a ceilidh with a scientific spin. Plus, news from the front lines of the sperm wars.Full transcript online at GeneticsUnzipped.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzip Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for The Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.
12/5/2019 • 35 minutes, 29 seconds
027 - Uprooting the tree of life: Darwin, DNA and de-extinction
In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re uprooting the tree of life - asking whether we should believe our eyes or our sequencing machines when it comes to deciding what makes a species. Plus, the greatest comebacks of all time - we look at the science of de-extinction and find out whether Jurassic Park could ever become a reality.Full show notes, transcript, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzipGenetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney with additional research by Emily Nordvang, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.
11/21/2019 • 30 minutes, 5 seconds
026 - The future is now: Curing HIV, advancing CRISPR therapies, predatory phages for superbug infections and advice for a healthy life
We’re reporting back from the Manova Global Health Summit, exploring the latest advances in health technology such as CRISPR-based gene therapies, infection-fighting viruses and a potential cure for HIV. Plus veteran health columnist Jane Brody’s advice for a healthy life, and reflections on progress in cancer from US journalist and advocate Katie Couric.Full show notes, transcript, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzipGenetics Unzipped is presented by Kat Arney and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.
11/7/2019 • 40 minutes
025 - When 'Becky' met Bateson: Edith Rebecca Saunders, the mother of British plant genetics
We explore the story of Edith Rebecca Saunders - co-founder of The Genetics Society and the ‘mother of British plant genetics’.Full show notes, transcript, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.comFollow us on Twitter @GeneticsUnzipGenetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall
10/24/2019 • 32 minutes, 51 seconds
024 - Exploring the Poop-ome, from the microbiome to metagenomics
In this episode we’re getting our hands dirty by delving into the poop-ome - the trillions of bacteria that live inside our guts and make up what’s known as the microbiome. Rather than simply being a bunch of bugs, the microbiome is now believed to play a role in virtually every aspect of health and disease. But what are they up to? How do we even know what species are in there? And can you blame your stinky farts on your bacteria?With:-Tim Spector, King's College London-Rob Finn, European Bioinformatics Institute-Hilary Browne, Wellcome Sanger InstituteFull show notes, transcript, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.comFollow us on Twitter - @GeneticsUnzipGenetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.
10/10/2019 • 34 minutes, 14 seconds
023 Mergers and Acquisitions
In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re looking at mergers and acquisitions - but in a biological rather than a financial sense. We find out what happens when two cells decide to move in together, unpack the history of genetic engineering and bleat on about the story of Dolly the Sheep.Full shows notes including transcript and music credits at GeneticsUnzipped.comGenetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Audio production by Hannah Varrall.
9/26/2019 • 34 minutes, 49 seconds
022 - Big Questions about the Big C
Why are tumours more likely to develop in some tissues than others? Why are bowel and breast cancers so common when heart cancer is so rare? And will low doses of radiation from medical scans create the conditions for unruly cells to grow, even without damaging DNA? In the latest episode of Genetics Unzipped we’re tackling the Big Questions about the Big C as we dig into some of the mysteries surrounding what’s often seen as the ultimate genetic disease: cancer.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com
9/12/2019 • 29 minutes, 29 seconds
021 In case you missed it...
In this episode we’re bringing you a selection of our favourite bits from the year so far that you might have missed.We’re taking a short summer break and will be back again with new episodes from the 12th of September. In the meantime, I’ve picked a few highlights from our earlier episodes that you may have missed. I hope you enjoy listening to them, whether again or for the first time, as much as producer Hannah and I enjoyed making them.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com
8/29/2019 • 33 minutes, 4 seconds
020 Sex and Death
Please fill in our short listener survey so we can make the podcasts even better, and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of Kat’s book, Herding Hemingway’s Cats.In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re telling tales of sex, death and extinction, and exploring the very darkest side of genetics.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at geneticsunzipped.com
8/15/2019 • 30 minutes, 3 seconds
019 - The Genetic Time Machine
In this episode we’re taking a trip in a genetic time machine - back into the past to discover the origins of ancient human populations, and into the future to explore the realities of personal genome sequencing.Please fill in our short listener survey so we can make the podcasts even better, and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of Kat’s book, Herding Hemingway’s Cats.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics, online at genetics.org.uk. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/8/1/019-the-genetic-time-machine
8/1/2019 • 34 minutes, 26 seconds
018 Cut. Paste. Pair. Repeat.
Please take a moment to do our brief listener survey - https://geneticsunzipped.com/survey - thanks very much.In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re exploring the dark heart of the genome, untying nature’s shoelaces, and looking back at the discovery of RNA splicing.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/7/18/018-cut-paste-pair-repeat
7/18/2019 • 25 minutes, 23 seconds
017 Happy 100th Birthday To Us
We’re celebrating the actual birthday of the society - founded on the 25th June, 100 years ago - with past president, Nobel laureate and winner of the Genetics Society’s first centenary medal, Sir Paul Nurse (and some very fruity DNA-based cocktails...)Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/7/4/017-happy-100th-birthday-to-us
7/4/2019 • 26 minutes, 46 seconds
016 Genetics By Numbers
In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re unravelling the story of the double helix, cracking the triplet code, and sketching out a Punnet square.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/6/20/016-genetics-by-numbers
6/20/2019 • 26 minutes, 9 seconds
015 Up the Garden Path
In this episode of Genetics Unzipped, reporter Graihagh Jackson loses herself in the Valley of Hybridisation at the Genetics Society's medal-winning garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, and discover the importance of playing with your genes.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/6/6/015-up-the-garden-path
6/6/2019 • 22 minutes
014 The Seeds of a Great Idea
In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re taking the train to London with William Bateson as he brings Mendel's ideas to Britain, seeking the secrets of snapdragons, and discovering how to build an army of MinIONs.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com
5/23/2019 • 19 minutes, 6 seconds
013 The Zero Dollar Genome
The first draft of the human genome came with a price tag running into billions of dollars. In less than twenty years, the cost of whole genome sequencing had plummeted, making the thousand dollar genome a reality by 2014, and opening up a consumer market for personal genome sequencing - although as geneticist Elaine Mardis quipped, it’s a $1000 genome, and a £100,000 analysis. The price for sequencing continues to fall, and several companies are vying to be the first to break the hundred dollar barrier.But, according to George Church, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and one of the world’s leading authorities on genes and genomes, we’re about to see the dawn of the zero dollar genome, making personal whole genome sequencing effectively free in exchange for the data.We also chat with genomics researcher Manuel Corpas about how his experience of personal genome sequencing became very personal once he got his whole family involved, particularly when everyone started competing to see who had the 'best' genes. Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes and links available at https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/5/9/the-zero-dollar-genome
5/9/2019 • 34 minutes, 1 second
012 - Strands of Life
In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we explore the discovery of chromosomes - the strands of genetic material within every living cell - take a look at Lyonisation, and solve the case of the missing chromosomes.Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney, and produced by First Create the Media for the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Production by Hannah Varrall.Full show notes, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com
4/25/2019 • 27 minutes, 52 seconds
011 - Darwin vs Mendel
In this episode we ask, what would have happened if Darwin had read Mendel? And what if they’d been on Twitter? Plus, something else that Darwin would have loved: an ambitious project to sequence the DNA of everything across the tree of life.Presented by Kat Arney, with Greg Radick (University of Leeds) and Dan Mead (Wellcome Sanger Institute).Full transcript, notes and references available from GeneticsUnzipped.com
4/11/2019 • 31 minutes, 5 seconds
010 - Not just 'the wife' - the overlooked stories of women in genetics
Kat Arney tells the stories of four women from the history of 20th century genetics, and explores how sexism in scientific culture led to their achievements being overlooked.There's Esther Lederberg, whose work on phage Lambda paved the way for her husband Joshua's 1958 Nobel Prize. She was also the inventor of replica plating - a technique still used in microbiology labs all over the world today - yet struggled to get tenure and recognition for her work.Harriet Creighton, the first graduate student of groundbreaking plant geneticist Barbara McClintock, discovered how chromosomes cross over and switch sections of DNA when germ cells are made. But after seeing how difficult it was for her mentor to get funding, Harriet left research in favour of a career as a university lecturer.Tsuneko Okazaki discovered the eponymous 'Okazaki fragments' - short fragments produced when DNA is copied - together with her husband Reiji. While many said that it was a Nobel-worthy discovery, Reiji died in his 40s, and Tsuneko was never awarded the prize in her own right.And finally, there's the story Martha Chase, whose famous 'blender experiment' with Alfred Hershey helped to prove that DNA carries the genetic information inside cells.Full show notes, including scripts and music credits at GeneticsUnzipped.com
3/28/2019 • 31 minutes, 3 seconds
009 - Chimps, cancer genes and missing kids
In this episode we bring you a very special interview with Mary-Claire King - one of the world’s leading geneticists, whose work has spanned everything from comparing chimps and humans to finding the first breast cancer gene to reuniting families that have been torn apart.Get the full transcript, links and references from https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/3/14/009-chimps-cancer-genes-and-missing-kidsProduced by First Create the Media for The Genetics Society. Written and presented by Kat Arney, audio production by Hannah Varrall. Follow us on Twitter @geneticsunzip
3/14/2019 • 32 minutes, 53 seconds
008 - Getting ready for genomic medicine
This is a special edition of Genetics Unzipped, in association with the Genomics Education programme - part of Health Education England. We’ll be finding out how genomic medicine is coming into the NHS, and what it means for everyone working in the health service.Since the publication of the draft sequence of the human genome back in the early noughties, researchers and doctors have been working hard to harness the secrets within our DNA in order to benefit human health. Progress was slow for several years, due to the high cost and slow pace of sequencing technology. Everything changed with the advent of Next Generation Sequencing in around 2009, making it possible to read the entire sequence of anyone’s genome at low cost and high speed.To realise the potential of this technology in healthcare, the 100,000 Genomes Project was launched in 2012 aiming to sequence - as you might have guessed - 100,000 genomes from people affected by cancer and rare diseases within the NHS. The next chapter began in October 2018, when NHS England launched a brand new Genomic Medicine Service, using insights and information from the new era of large-scale DNA sequencing, known as genomics, to improve the nation’s health. The service is aiming to sequence 500,000 whole genomes over the next five years, as part of the UK government’s broader aims to reach five million genomic tests by 2024.More information and show notes online at Geneticsunzipped.com
3/4/2019 • 35 minutes, 56 seconds
007 - Supermodels of science
In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re entering the glamorous world of modelling, taking a look at the eclectic collection of model organisms that have been put to work in the lab to reveal the secrets of biology.Full transcript and notes online: https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/2/28/007-supermodels-of-science
2/28/2019 • 19 minutes, 39 seconds
006 - Big fat failure
We’re looking at the genetics of failure - why we fail to lose weight thanks to our genes, and why billions of dollars are wasted developing drugs that don’t work. Full show notes and transcript available at https://geneticsunzipped.com/blog/2019/2/14/006-big-fat-failure
2/14/2019 • 30 minutes, 30 seconds
005 - Vegetable soup
Genetics Unzipped is the Genetics Society podcast. Written and presented by Dr Kat Arney, produced by Hannah Varrall for First Create the Media. Full show notes available online at https://geneticsunzipped.com/
1/31/2019 • 19 minutes, 15 seconds
004 - Witness the fitness
In this episode we’re taking a dive into the world of evolutionary genetics to witness the fitness - we ask whether street smart city-dwelling birds are genetically different from their country bumpkin relatives, how butterflies got their brightly patterned wings, and if today’s genetic research would have blown Darwin’s mind.Full show notes and references online at https://geneticsunzipped.com/
1/17/2019 • 32 minutes, 1 second
003 - Hunting Huntington's, Nobel viruses and spidergoats
In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re hunting down Huntington’s disease, discovering why viruses are so important for geneticists, and chasing the science behind spidergoats.
1/3/2019 • 27 minutes, 31 seconds
002 - Behind the scenes at the Christmas Lectures
behind the scenes at the iconic Royal Institution Christmas Lectures with Professors Alice Roberts and Aoife McLysaght - plus the fire-obsessed demonstration expert Fran Scott - to find the answer to the question “Who am I?”
12/20/2018 • 32 minutes, 22 seconds
001 - Get unzipped!
Big news! Genetics Unzipped is a new podcast from the Genetics Society, taking a look at the world of genes, genomes and DNA. Here's a quick teaser from our first episode, featuring Alice Roberts, Aoife McLysaght and Fran Scott, taking a sneak peek behind the scenes at the 2018 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures.More info online at geneticsunzipped.com
12/12/2018 • 5 minutes, 22 seconds
Coming soon... Genetics Unzipped - a new science podcast exploring the world of DNA, genes and genomes