Naked Genetics, from the Naked Scientists
104 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month 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
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
Genes for all
June 13, 2016 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBGenes, genomes and genetic technology are playing increasingly important parts in our lives, industries, food and healthcare, and at a point in the not-too-distant future we're probably going to have to grapple with at least some of the contents of our DNA. But is the public really prepared to look inside its genes? Plus, the company aiming to bring molecular biology labs for all, and our gene of the month is crunchy on the outside. This is the Naked Genetics podcast for June 2016 with me, Dr...
Check your compatibility
May 13, 2016 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBYou may not realise it, but your health, immune system and even love-life are governed by the particular set of so-called compatibility genes that you inherit. There are thousands of different variations in these genes, but why do we have such diversity and does it matter? Plus, we dig into the latest research on cancer genetics - how studying hundreds of tumour genomes might bring forward new breast cancer cures. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What's in your genes?
April 13, 2016 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBAs the costs of DNA analysis come down, we've seen the rise of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, allowing anyone to spit in a tube, pop it in the post and get a personalised readout direct to their inbox. But what do these tests actually reveal? Plus, how advertising execs can help us talk about genes, digging up the secrets in dogs genomes, and our gene of the month is totally legless. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Designer genes
March 14, 2016 00:00 - 32 minutes - 29.3 MBThe recent invention of powerful precision tools for editing the human genome - known as CRISPR, has opened up new worlds of possibilities for researchers seeking to understand how our genes work - and also those who want to permanently change the human genome for generations to come. But are we on the road to designer babies? Plus, we unpack the latest cancer breakthrough, and our gene of the month is making a terrible racket. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Crazy for CRISPR
February 14, 2016 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBIt's the hottest new biotechnology technique to hit the headlines since well, since ever. CRISPR is a precision set of genome editing tools enabling scientists to cut and paste together DNA in any organism, exactly how they want - and the implications for human health, and even humanity, are huge. Plus, linking genetics to lifestyle, and our gene of the month is black and white and very cute. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Naked Genetics 47
January 14, 2016 00:00 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBThis month we bring you a bumper edition, packed full of all our favourite bits from the past four years. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Naked Genetics 46
December 14, 2015 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBSynthetic biology - engineering life - is set to revolutionise the world, but how? We'll be hearing about some of the most exciting applications for synthetic biology, and how it's being commercialised. Plus, our gene of the month has got itself all in a twist. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Why don't elephants get cancer?
November 14, 2015 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBAnimals like elephants and whales are made up of many more cells than a human, or a mouse, and they live far longer. Yet they hardly ever get cancer - and the big question is why? Plus, revolutions in genetics, and a magical gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Engineering life
October 13, 2015 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBImagine designing bacteria that can do whatever you want - from cleaning up oil spills to churning out the latest cancer treatments - ordering the biological parts online and building it in a couple of weeks. This is no longer the stuff of dreams, but the reality of synthetic biology. Plus, tracing European genes, how parasites manipulate our immune systems, I take part in a research project to find out if sociability is in my genes, and our gene of the month is looking for wedded bliss. Like...
Hundreds and Thousands
September 13, 2015 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBWhen it comes to figuring out which genes and genetic variations are linked to particular traits and diseases, there's only one way to do it, and that's to go large, with cohort studies involving hundreds or even thousands of volunteers. We meet the Born In Bradford bunch, a Canadian cohort, and more than a few pairs of twins. Plus, oh my God, they killed our gene of the month! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Mysterious methylation
August 13, 2015 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBThere's more to life than the four letters of DNA, and our cells use a chemical tag known as DNA methylation to mark out certain parts of the genome, helping cells to remember what they're doing. And, as you might expect, it's pretty important. Plus, how your GCSE success could be encoded in your genes, an important molecular cause of autism identified, and an illuminating gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The wonderful world of epigenetics
July 13, 2015 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBGenes are the instructions that tell our cells what to do, but how do different types of cells know which genes to switch on or off at the right time? The solution lies in epigenetics - the molecular bells and whistles that act on top of our DNA to control gene activity. Plus, a new gene involved in severe obesity, and a mythical gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Breeding a better cow
June 13, 2015 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBFor centuries, breeders have been selecting plants and animals with desirable genetic traits. So how have some of these changes come about, and where will new genetic technologies take our food in the future? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The story of maize
May 13, 2015 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBYou may not realise it, but all the food you eat has been genetically altered over time by plant and animal breeders, capturing advantageous traits to grow more nutritious and easy-to-farm foods as efficiently and healthily as possible. Maize, or corn as it's often know, is a prime example of this change. Plus, is attractiveness to mosquitoes in your genes? And our gene of the month is small but significant. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Patenting and preserving genes
April 13, 2015 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBThere are few things in life as important as the food we eat, but making sure that we guard the genes in our crops for the future is just as important. Plus, we take a look at some of the intellectual property issues surrounding our food, learn squid's surprising secret, and our gene of the month might be a mayor. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
A hundred thousand genomes
March 14, 2015 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBOver the past year the Government has unveiled an audacious programme under the banner of Genomics England, aiming to sequence the genomes of 100,000 people affected by cancer and rare genetic diseases. We take a look at some of the practical and ethical issues around the project. Plus, our gene of the month comes from the land of the forever young. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genetically Modified plants
February 14, 2015 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBGenetically modified, or GM, crops are a hot topic. Some people are deeply suspicious of the technology while others see it as an effective and efficient way of generating bountiful, healthier harvests. Plus, purple tomatoes, a giant of a gene involved in heart disease, and what's in a name? We take a look at the naming of genes. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Clever mice and drunken flies
January 14, 2015 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBHow do we learn complex tasks like playing the piano? Why can we remember things better after a good night's sleep? And why do people - and fruit flies - drink again after the hangover from hell? The answers are all in your genes. Plus, why large-scale searches for so-called "genes for schizophrenia" and other psychiatric diseases are turning out to be trickier than we thought, and a gene of the month with a touch of Scottish - or maybe Hollywood - spirit. Like this podcast? Please help us by...
Searching for the engram
December 14, 2014 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBFor many years scientists have been searching for the mysterious engram - the place in the brain where memories are kept. And thanks to advances in genetics and neurobiology, it looks like they're now getting close to finding it. Plus, contagious cancers in dogs and devils, and our gene of the month prefers the cold. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Targeting cancer genes
November 14, 2014 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBEvery year in the UK more than 330,000 people are diagnosed with cancer. The good news is that more and more are surviving, and there's hope that the new generation of genetic research and targeted therapies will bring more cures in the future. But is cancer a cleverer enemy than we thought? Plus sealion genital cancers, and an over-excited gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genes, ageing and metabolism
October 13, 2014 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBCould we one day be popping pills that tweak our metabolism and make us live longer? It's not as far off as you might think. Plus, the cow genome goes large, bat flu flies into focus, and an untidy gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Long live our genes
September 13, 2014 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBEvery day we get older, and whether you're desperately resisting the march of time, or embracing the ageing process, most of us would agree we want to live as long, healthy lives as possible. We'll be finding out how genetics research can help. Plus, making fingers with Alan Turing, growing lizard tails, and a long-lived gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genes for sore eyes
August 13, 2014 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBFrom the beauty of a sunset or the ugliness of war to the smile on a loved one's face, our eyes bring us all kinds of information about the world around us. now researchers are working to develop new therapies for people who have lost this precious sense. Plus, smelling elephants, marmoset twins, and an all-seeing gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Issues for genetic testing
July 13, 2014 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBWhether we like it or not, we're heading further along the road of genetic testing, not just for single genes but for complex diseases and even ancestry. But can the results of gene tests change our behaviour? Plus colouring crows, electric eels, gluing chromosomes and a sketchy gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Gene therapy - Cystic fibrosis, blindness and more
June 13, 2014 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBTwenty years ago, gene therapy was a great hope for the future of medicine - directly tinkering with faulty genes to cure diseases, but progress has been slow. Now, things seem to be changing. Plus, silencing crickets, evolving brain and brawn, and a flowery gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Nature, nurture and wiring the brain
May 13, 2014 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBThe more we understand about the genetic variations that affect our brains, the more questions are raised - for example, are we a product of nature or nurture, and what should we test for? Plus, why Y loss is bad for men, the usefulness of junk DNA, and a crunchy gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genes, depression and schizophrenia
April 13, 2014 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBAround one in four adults in the UK experiences mental health problems in any year, and mental illness is a major problem for sufferers, their loved ones, and society. It's becoming clear that genes are involved, but what do we actually know? Plus, artificial chromosomes, autism in the womb, and a toddling little gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
DNA damage and repair
March 14, 2014 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBEvery second your DNA is under assault - not just from chemicals in our environment or food, but from the hurly-burly of life within our own cells. We'll be finding out how DNA gets damaged and repaired, and how researchers are exploiting this to find better treatments for cancer. Plus, liver from skin cells, DNA from ancient teeth, and a scary little gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Smells like gene spirit
February 14, 2014 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBSmell is probably the oldest sense, hardwired right into our brains and closely linked to memory. Now researchers are trying to unravel the complex genetics that underpin it. Plus, contagious dog genital cancers, gene therapy for blindness, and a rather slimy gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Now hear this
January 14, 2014 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBHearing loss is distressing, whether it occurs later in life or in childhood. Now researchers are starting to unpick the genetic causes behind some of these problems. Plus, mice on drugs, stress and death, and a wobbly gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Taking shape
December 14, 2013 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBAcross the natural world, cells organise themselves into a wonderful array of shapes and structures. But how do they do this? Plus, building bones, plant sex in space, and a rather plump gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Come together
November 14, 2013 00:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBAll living cells are made up of protein molecules - but how do they organise themselves into structures? Plus bee sex, tough mice, and a happily married gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Have a heart
October 13, 2013 23:00 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBThe heart is a vital biological pump, beating around a billion times in a lifetime. But faulty genes can cause big problems. Plus, taming the tiger genome, solving citrus sickness, and our gene of the month is for all you hopeless romantics out there. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genes and genealogy
September 13, 2013 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBWho do you think you are? And is the answer in your genes? This month we're delving into genes and genealogy. Plus, putting an end to genetic determinism, and an ancient Egyptian gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genes, infections and immunity
August 13, 2013 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBWhy can some people stay fit as a fiddle, while other seem to catch every bug that's going? As you might expect, the answer lies in our genes. Plus, a multitude of mutant mice, the state of gene therapy for epilepsy, and an unseeing gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Let's talk about sex
July 13, 2013 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBSummer loving is in the air, so what better time to think about sex? But we're not going to get graphic - we're talking about the genetics of sex determination. Plus, why turkeys need a wingman, figuring out fingerprints, and a leggy gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The future of fingerprinting
June 13, 2013 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBOur genes are our unique calling card, and DNA analysis has been used to solve crimes and resolve paternity disputes for decades. Now new genetic technology promises to revolutionise medicine. Plus, we meet the man who invented genetic fingerprinting, discuss Angelina Jolie's breasts, and savour a cheesy gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Genomics - Hope or hype?
May 13, 2013 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBGenetic technology is expanding at a pace that few can keep up with, with huge amounts of data being generated every week. But is this explosion of information delivering meaningful advances for patients? Plus, how one scientist tracked down the gene fault behind his own disease, what sequencing the HeLa genome means for genetic privacy, and a Pythonesque gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Doing the twist - packing DNA
April 13, 2013 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBAlmost every single cell of your body is packed with more than two metres of DNA, containing your genes. But not only does it have to be packed up to fit in there, it also has to be organised and read. Plus, how genetic variations are linked to cancer risk,analysing dinosaur DNA, and an adventurous gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Beautiful otherness - autism genetics
March 14, 2013 00:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBIt's thought that around one in a hundred children in the UK is somewhere on the autistic spectrum - a complex range of disorders that can be challenging to understand and live with. But recent advances in genetics are bringing hope for new therapies that might help. Plus, we look at the genes underlying Specific Language Impairment, find out why cancer has the X factor, and meet a hopeless-sounding gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The wonderful world of RNA
February 14, 2013 00:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBYou've probably heard of DNA, but what do you know about RNA? As well as being the molecule that shuttles information from our genes into our cells, it also plays a huge number of other roles in all cells, from bacteria and viruses to tiny worms, plants and humans. Plus we delve into quadruplex DNA, wonder about the wolf genome, speculate on skin colour and our gene of the month has a literary twist. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Fitting into your genes - the genetics of obesity
January 14, 2013 00:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBThe gym is full, the pubs are empty - it can only be January, as a good proportion of the population resolves to shape up and lose weight. But are your efforts going to help you fit into your jeans (with a J), or are you just fighting against your genes (with a G)? Plus, we discuss how genes might jump between cows and snakes, and we've got gout, goats, giant pandas and a glass bottom boat.This is the Naked Genetics podcast for January 2013 with me, Dr Kat Arney, brought to you in association...
Cancer genetics - When good cells go bad
December 14, 2012 00:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBCancer is literally the enemy within us -it starts when our own cells get damaged and go rogue, multiplying out of control and spreading around body. But how can we use new genetic knowledge to beat it? Plus, decoding the wheat genome, finding out where birds came from, and our gene of the month is more art than science. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
The genetics of germs
November 14, 2012 00:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBOur world - and our bodies - are teeming with bacteria. And although some of them are friendly, many of them are not. Plus, electrifying news about bacterial nanowires, cuddly koalas, and counting chromosomes, and our gene of the month is the mindblowing Mind Bomb. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Stop bugging me! The genetics of bedbugs and other insects
October 13, 2012 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBThey suck your blood, hitch-hike on your luggage, and are a growing threat to the hotel industry. Bedbugs are a growing problem in the modern jet-set world, and scientists are using genetic techniques to try and understand why. Feeling itchy yet? Plus, we look at the genetics of some other annoying insects, get to the bottom of the recent controversy about junk DNA, and our gene of the month is none other than Superman and his weedier alter-ego Clark Kent. Like this podcast? Please help us by...
Epigenetics and reprogramming - turning back the clock
September 13, 2012 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBWe've all heard of the genetic code - the letters that spell out the instructions in our DNA. But that's not the whole story. Researchers are increasingly digging into the epigenetic code - the marks that tell cells which genes to use and which to ignore. Plus, we take a look behind the headlines about older fathers and autism, find out what chimps can tell us about our cancer risk, and our gene of the month might be mistaken for a heavy metal band. Like this podcast? Please help us by suppor...
Genes and genomes
August 13, 2012 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.7 MBIt's now over a decade since the human genome was first sequenced, costing over a billion pounds and taking 13 years. Today, we're close to the thousand dollar genome. But what's in a genome, and what can it tell us about our risk of disease? Plus we'll be arguing the age of polar bears, and finding out about fish with skin cancer. And our gene of the month is one for the Trekkies out there - it's Tribbles. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Hacking biology - synthetic DNA and experimental evolution
July 13, 2012 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.8 MBEvery biology student is familiar with DNA - the ladder-like blueprint of life built on a backbone of the sugar deoxyribose. Scientists are now hacking this structure to make entirely new DNA-like molecules built on different sugar skeletons, opening an exciting new world of synthetic genetics. Plus, we find out what happens when music has sex, discover why the X chromosome is more than just a number, and our gene of the month is the unfortunate Ken and Barbie. Like this podcast? Please help ...