Naked Genetics, from the Naked Scientists
102 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★ - 84 ratingsFrom plants to pathogens, fruit flies to fungi and hamsters to humans, Naked Genetics takes a look at the science of genes. With in-depth interviews and the latest discoveries from the world of genetics, tune in for a look inside your genes...
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Episodes
ADHD advantages, and mining microbiomes
April 05, 2024 03:46 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBThis episode of Naked Genetics: has the evolutionary advantage to ADHD been uncovered? Also, We look at the microbiome of mining. And, the only vertebrate in the world that would thank you for saying that it looked like crap... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The roamin' Roman Empire, and Charles Darwin's love life
February 28, 2024 11:11 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBIn this edition of Naked Genetics: The surprising findings of a roman empire diversity study; Are hybrid animals the way out of the biodiversity crisis? And, was charles darwin as romantic as he was scientifically brilliant? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The origin of Europe's MS disease, and South Pole sequencing
January 22, 2024 08:35 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBThis episode of Naked Genetics, the origins of multiple sclerosis markers in northern Europe is revealed, and why it might have helped more people than it hindered; we also look at organisms surviving in Earth's most extreme conditions; and ask just why might a bunch of organisms be turning into crabs? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Testing for genetic diseases, and bats with big penises
December 15, 2023 02:48 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBThis episode of Naked Genetics, we catch up with our genetics experts and look into the hot button genetics news; we look at how genetics affects our genes, and how genes affect our ageing; and, another extraordinary mating ritual in Quirks of Evolution... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Is vegetarianism genetic, and the penis-eating spider
November 14, 2023 12:38 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBThis episode, we catch up with some of the more curious genetics news from the past month including how much Neanderthal is in you and how that affects your risk of disease. Also, we look at one of the most remarkable breeding strategies in the animal kingdom, a spider with two penises that eats one of them... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
COVID In Your Genes: The Risk Factors
April 14, 2021 10:46 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBDo our genes control how we respond to COVID? The question has been nagging at the world since the pandemic began. Now we have the answer - and it's yes. In this programme, geneticist Nathan Pearson uncovers the specific bits of DNA that make you more likely to catch coronavirus, as well as the bits that might make you sicker.... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The Genes Who Came in for the Cold
March 17, 2021 20:12 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBHow do we cope at the extremes of low temperature? Across the world, groups of people have historically made their home in icy and inhospitable landscapes... and even today, groups of thrill seekers push their bodies to the limits by going swimming in water close to freezing. In this month's programme, genes that help us handle - and even enjoy - being very cold. We've got two stories from the ancient ice, including the oldest ever DNA; plus, two modern genes found to be helping us out in int...
How To Tell Coronavirus Variants Apart
February 24, 2021 12:32 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBWe're looking at the most critical variants of the coronavirus, and finding out how to tell whether they're flummoxing COVID vaccines. Plus: the cost of catching a serial killer; DNA with four strands instead of two; and a mutant fish whose fins have started turning into limbs! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Identical Twins: Not Identical?
January 15, 2021 05:49 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBMeet the small DNA differences that make their mark by existing in the magical period of early development. We'll hear how mutations in the very first stages of human embryos have bizarre consequences for identical twins; and how even earlier in the process, sperm use selfish genes to get ahead of the competition. Plus, an immunologist untangles mRNA COVID vaccines, from efficacy numbers to delayed booster shots... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
RNA vaccines, privacy, and penguins
December 17, 2020 05:56 - 24 minutes - 22 MBThe first group of people in the world have received a 'genetic' vaccine against the coronavirus. What is it, and how does it work? Naked Scientist Chris Smith breaks it down and addresses your concerns. Plus, why some genes have to change rapidly just to stay the same; a new way to keep functional genetic information private; and three new species of penguin arrive on the scene... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Mink, Ivory, & a Disease Discovered Backwards
November 13, 2020 05:53 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBIt's a regular Noah's Ark: from the coronavirus strains that have been spreading through minks, to a new DNA test that can track poached elephant ivory, to the genetics of a very useful - and very inbred - cat. Plus: scientists have discovered a brand new genetic disease, via an unlikely approach and an even unlikelier coincidence... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Slave Trade, Neanderthals, & COVID
October 16, 2020 05:31 - 28 minutes - 26 MBThis week: a risk factor for severe COVID that comes from Neanderthals; using genes to track the millions transported as slaves across the Atlantic; a doctor runs through the list of what coronavirus mutations are worth watching out for; and learning population genetics from a video game... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
How To Survive Poison
September 14, 2020 04:28 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThis week, a message from Naked Scientists listener Loretta. "I'm curious if your show might cover some of the most interesting case studies of organisms developing tolerance to severe toxins, what genetic insight this gives us about adaptation and natural selection more broadly, and what some of the tradeoffs might be when evolving to have such tolerances." We're answering her question: how do animals - and even humans - eat poison, and get away with it? Like this podcast? Please help us by ...
The Inner Lives of Birds
August 19, 2020 02:53 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBTweet tweet! We're talking birds, and the incredible things they can do. Today we're spotlighting five of the coolest recent stories in bird genetics: hummingbirds powering their lightning-fast flight; a gene that controls migration; why males have different colours to females; how light pollution makes sparrows sicker; and the bird trapped for thousands of years under the Siberian ice... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Female Mosaicism: The Stronger Sex?
July 15, 2020 02:22 - 27 minutes - 24.7 MBThe same thing that makes the patchwork colours on a tortoiseshell cat, also - according to some - is why human females live longer, see colour better, and even more often survive the coronavirus. It's all thanks to having two X chromosomes. Females compensate by switching one of them off, and the result is two distinct groups of cells in the body, each preferring one of the two X's. Welcome to the weird world of female mosaicism... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Sc...
Fermented foods: the real deal?
June 15, 2020 01:56 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBWe take a look at the trendy world of fermented foods. Are they actually good for you? And if so, why? Plus, the latest genetics news: from bacteria that live inside cancer cells, to gene sequencing the dead sea scrolls... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
ACE2: The Coronavirus Gateway
May 14, 2020 01:55 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBAre you one of the many people who take ACE inhibitors or ARBs to treat high blood pressure? Or to help with heart issues or diabetes? In the UK, this is about one in seven people, making these are some of the most common prescription drugs out there; and recently there have been worries that they might make a coronavirus infection worse. The link between the drugs and the virus is a molecule inside everyone's bodies called ACE2. On today's show, meet ACE2, the protein in the spotlight: the b...
The Coronavirus Mutation Situation
April 15, 2020 10:46 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBIn this episode we're taking apart the tiny creature behind this global pandemic. From how looking at the genes of the coronavirus can help figure out the animal it comes from; to the exact ways it's spreading around the world; and even how a hidden mutation is threatening to lead vaccine-makers on a wild goose chase. Plus, Gins & Genes goes virtual; stay tuned to hear what's inside our guest's downstairs toilet... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Gene Genealogy & The Lost Family
March 14, 2020 02:05 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBOne of the biggest tech booms of the past half decade has been direct to consumer DNA tests. The results come in the post, and with them come both answers and new questions: questions that tens of thousands of people now have to figure out how to ask. In this episode, a new book from journalist Libby Copeland about a sociological phenomenon and its effects, both grand and intimate... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
FOXG1 Syndrome: Fighting the Odds
February 20, 2020 07:32 - 25 minutes - 23 MBListener Vivek got in touch with a question about a rare genetic disease his son has, called FOXG1 Syndrone. In fact, it's so rare - and so newly-discovered - that only about six hundred people in the world have been diagnosed. Kids with FOXG1 have severe developmental delays; in Vivek's words, "everything that can go wrong - it's gone wrong with him." But the parents of FOXG1 children have been unusually tenacious when it comes to shaping the course of science. In this programme we meet thos...
The Fly Infest-agation
January 14, 2020 08:42 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBWe got a Christmas present from listener Anna: a small plastic tube full of dead flies. They've recently been infesting the hospital where she works. She wants us to figure out what they are, and what caused the infestation. Can DNA crack the case? Plus, the return of Gins & Genes... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
African genetics and ethics
December 14, 2019 10:04 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBThere are very few African studies in genetics. And on the whole, there is a big European bias in the field. In Europe there are resources of hundreds of thousands of individuals' data, like the UK Biobank, and so that's where most research take place. But there's a potential problem: the subtle differences in DNA may start to make a difference the more genetics is used to diagnose and treat diseases. All this is why a number of institutions have collaborated to survey thousands of people's g...
What's in the water?
November 14, 2019 05:35 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBThis month we're diving into the stuff that makes up two thirds of the Earth's surface. Can you use genetics to figure out what's in the water? We put the science to the test by making a geneticist guess our mystery fish. Plus, a story about whales and dolphins: what do you lose when you leave the land? Jump in, the water's fine. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Quadrillions: Sequencing the UK Biobank
October 14, 2019 05:26 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBHalf a million genomes. That's how many the UK Biobank has, stored as blood samples in freezers up in Manchester. And in September 2019 they announced a project to sequence every single one of them. It's the obvious next step for the UK Biobank, the research study that began in 2006 and now consists of an enormous biological database: the personal and medical information of its 500,000 volunteers. That data is available to any researcher who applies to use it. But how is this, the biggest who...
The Dog Show
September 14, 2019 04:27 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBIt's a doggy dog world... in this episode we're talking pugs, bulldogs, and French bulldogs. They've all been bred for flat faces, but their airways haven't shrunk alongside their skulls - meaning that they often struggle to breathe. How has this happened? After evolving for millions of years, why are their airways literally too big to fit into their heads? Have they been betrayed by their own genes? Naked Genetics is on the case. Plus, the origin of puppy dog eyes, and we sequence the genome...
Mendel's Trick
August 14, 2019 04:10 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBNaked Genetics is back with new episodes every month! Today we're taking a step back. Where does genetics actually come from? How did we get to today's world of genome sequences and gene editing? It all started with a 19th-Century monk, working in his garden - but who was he really, and how did it take thirty years for him to be recognised? If you think you know this story, you might be surprised. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Decoding a Mammoth with George Church
March 24, 2019 00:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBJoin Harvard DNA pioneer George Church and Chris Smith in conversation as they discuss gene cloning, DNA sequencing, decoding the mammoth genome, the risks posed by fossil viruses lurking in extinct genomes, the prospects of xenotransplantation and safety of gene therapy, and the risks of human CRISPR. The discussion was recorded on March 15th, live in front of a studio audience at the Hello Tomorrow Summit, in Paris, 2019... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The CRISPR baby controversy
December 21, 2018 00:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBIn November, He Jiankui claimed that two genetically engineered children have been born. Did he really do it? And if so, what are the ramifications for the babies and for the field? Georgia Mills explores the controversy in a special edition of Naked Genetics. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The future of forensic genetics
April 13, 2018 23:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBWe're returning to the scene of the crime with another look at the latest techniques in the world of forensic genetics - can we really predict physical features or even ethnicity from your DNA, and what does this mean for our criminal justice system? Plus, is the 'CSI effect' real? And our gene of the month would be more at home at a rave than a lab. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
A Festival of Genomics
March 14, 2018 00:00 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBWe're off to a festival - but before you worry about where your tent and wellies are, it's the Festival of Genomics, held at a clean and dry conference centre in London rather than a muddy field full of rock bands and dodgy burgers. Plus, what does the public really think of genetic technology? And a fiery gene of the month. This is the Naked Genetics podcast for March 2018, brought to you in association with The Genetics Society. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scie...
Crime scene genes
February 14, 2018 00:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBIt's CSI Naked Genetics, as we find out how genetic technology is used to solve crimes. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Back to the womb
January 14, 2018 00:00 - 34 minutes - 32.1 MBWe take a trip back to the womb and before, to find out about early development. Plus, the importance of placentas, why the age of your womb rather than your eggs matters, and a video game-inspired gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The future of genomic medicine
December 14, 2017 00:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBThis month we're finding out how genetic advances are shaping the future of healthcare at the Genetics Society autumn meeting. Plus, signposts for bees and an operatic gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Matchmaking at the zoo
November 14, 2017 00:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBThis month we're off to the zoo to meet some lovelorn laughing thrushes, endangered snails, and the Cilla Black of Sumatran Tigers. Plus, a sneak preview of this year's Genetics Society JBS Haldane lecture, and a gene of the month that likes a tipple. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Evolution's luxury item
October 13, 2017 23:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBYou're a mammal. I'm a mammal. Your pet cat or dog is a mammal, as are whales, lemurs, pandas and polar bears. But what exactly is a mammal, and what can our genes tell us about our evolution? Plus, school students take on the whipworm genome, the surprising genetic diversity of Papua New Guinea, and a gene of the month that's up all night. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Exposing the contents of your genes
September 13, 2017 23:00 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBWould you ever consider donating your genome to research? We meet a man who has, and find out why. Plus, we get our hands dirty in the search for new antibiotics, take a look at the ethics of human gene editing, and our gene of the month is getting ahead in life. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Store, write, edit
August 13, 2017 23:00 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBAs scientists announce that they have used CRISPR technology to fix a faulty gene in a human embryo - not for the first time, but more accurately than ever before - we take a look at storing, writing and editing in DNA. Plus, our gene of the month is all ears. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genes and dementia
July 13, 2017 23:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThis month we're taking a look at the role that genes play in dementia, and finding out how researchers are using this knowledge to develop urgently-needed treatments. Plus, a big release of big data from the UK Biobank, and our gene of the month is an expert swordsman. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Bees, tress and 3-D genes
June 13, 2017 23:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBThis month we're literally getting inside our genes, as we explore chromosomes through a 3-dimensional virtual reality art, music and science project. Plus, researchers are turning to bees, trees and more in search of new genetic systems, and our gene of the month has been around for a while. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Tackling tumours, curing cancer
May 13, 2017 23:00 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MBThis month we're zooming in on cancer, finding out how researchers are tackling tumours in unprecedented detail. Plus, our gene of the month is the guardian of your genome, rather than the galaxy. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Battle of the sexes
April 13, 2017 23:00 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBWe might joke about the battle of the sexes, but it turns out that this is actually true - at least for a hundred or so imprinted genes. Plus, what opossums can teach us about sex, reporting back from a very special scientific meeting, and a superhero-styled gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Putting genomics to work
March 15, 2017 00:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBThe DNA sequencing revolution is providing ever more data about genomes from all kinds of species, from humans to bacteria. But how do we make sense of it all? Who gets their hands on it? And how do we use it to benefit patients? We meet the scientists developing new computer tools to analyse and democratise global genomics. Plus, how your partner's genes affect you - assuming you're a mouse - and a shrunken gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Science and the single cell
February 14, 2017 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBOur bodies are made up of trillions of cells - but these aren't mere biological building blocks, as inert as bricks. They're constantly communicating and changing. So how do scientists measure this? Plus, you can now take part in an international survey about genetics knowledge, a GIANT study throws up new genes linked to height, and a romantic gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genes, laws and Brexit
January 14, 2017 00:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBWe hear a lot about genetic modification and how it's being used to improve agriculture. But who decides whether modified crops can be grown? Do new gene editing techniques like CRISPR count as GM? And what happens to these regulations when the UK leaves the EU? Plus, our gene of the month comes with a tale behind it. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
All human life is here
December 14, 2016 00:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThe story of human evolution is long and complicated, but the simple truth is - you're only here because your ancestors got lucky. Plus, we wind the clock back to the very start of human life, and discover how new research is pushing back the frontiers of human embryology. Plus a suitably festive gene of the month. This is the Naked Genetics podcast for December 2016 with me, Dr Kat Arney, brought to you in association with The Genetics Society, online at genetics.org.uk. Like this podcast? P...
Searching for switches
November 14, 2016 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBThis month we're delving into the junk in the genome - or, to put it more correctly - our non-coding DNA. Less than 2 per cent of the human genome contains protein-coding genes, so what does all the rest do? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Testing, testing
October 13, 2016 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBWe hear more than ever about the secrets hidden in our genes, from our risk of diseases to traits such as intelligence or even sporting ability. But can we really test for them? And just because we can, does that mean we should? Plus, an extremely popular - and extremely distracting - gene of the month. This is the Naked Genetics podcast for October 2016 with me, Dr Kat Arney, brought to you in association with The Genetics Society, online at genetics.org.uk. Like this podcast? Please help us...
Hello Dolly
September 13, 2016 23:00 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBThis month we've got a special bonus-length podcast commemorating twenty years since the birth of Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Her birth changed the scientific world, and led to the development of other transformative technologies. Plus, our gene of the month is keeping a straight face. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
40 years of selfishness
August 13, 2016 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MB40 years ago Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene hit the shelves. We look back on how it changed the way many people think about genetics. Plus, linking nurture to nature, and a gigantic gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Signal to noise
July 13, 2016 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBBuilding a baby is a complicated business, with millions of cells needing to work together. So how does it happen? Plus, how big data is making big strides in big genes, and our gene of the month is going round and round in circles. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists