Genetics Unzipped

Latest Episodes:

S3.23 Heat, Stick, Duplicate, Repeat: The Story Of The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

Anyone who has worked with DNA in the laboratory is undoubtedly familiar with the polymerase chain reaction - PCR, as it’s usually known.

Invented in 1985, PCR is an indispensable molecular biology tool that can replicate any stretch of DNA, copying it billions of times in a matter of hours, providing enough DNA to use in sequencing or further research, or for applications like forensics, genetic testing, ancient DNA analysis or medical diagnostics.

It’s hard to overstate the transformation that PCR brought to the world of molecular biology and biomedical research. Suddenly, researchers could amplify and study DNA in a way that had been simply impossible before, kickstarting the genetic revolution that’s still going strong today.

So where did this revolutionary technology come from? Officially, PCR was invented in 1985 by a colourful character called Kary Mullis, who won a Nobel Prize for the discovery (more on him later). But, as we’ll see, all the components of PCR were in place by the early 1980s - it just took a creative leap to assemble them into one blockbusting technique.

Listen to the full episode and find a transcript at GeneticsUnzipped.com.

Genetics Unzipped is the podcast from the UK Genetics Society and is produced by First Create the Media. Follow Genetics Unzipped @geneticsunzip, and the Genetics Society @GenSocUK on Twitter.

Listen to Genetics Unzipped on Apple podcasts (iTunes),Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Genetics Shambles 9: The ethics of genetics Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

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.com

S3.22 The Past, Present and Future of the Human Genome Project Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

Thirty years ago this month saw the birth of one of the most audacious research programmes in biology: The Human Genome Project, an ambitious plan to read the DNA sequence of the entire human genome. Ten years later, in June 2000 - after billions of dollars, countless hours of DNA sequencing, and a huge amount of effort from an international collaboration from 20 institutions in six countries - the first draft of the Human Genome was unveiled.

Dr Eric Green has seen the Human Genome Project through from its inception through to the published sequence and into what’s now the fully-fledged field of human genomics. Today, he’s the director of the US National Human Genome Research Institute, and a leading light in the world of genes, genomes and genome sequencing. I called him up to chat about the past, present and future of the human genome - starting by going all the way back to the beginning of the Human Genome Project.

Full show notes, transcript, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com.

Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney with audio production by Hannah Varrall.

This podcast is 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.

Genetics Shambles 8: New genetic technologies Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

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.

S321 From Philadelphia to Baltimore: Tales of Chromosomes, Cancer Cells and Henrietta Lacks Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we’re taking a road trip from Philadelphia to Baltimore, exploring stories of chromosomal cut-and-paste, cancer cures and Henrietta Lacks’ incredible cancer cells.

Studying human cells in the lab allows us to understand more about how they work, investigate the causes of disease, and design new treatments. But growing cells in the lab isn’t as easy as you might think. We explore the story of how Henrietta Lacks’s immortal cells (known today as HeLa cells) became the go-to human cell line for biomedical research, and the impact they’ve had as a result.

We also tell the story of the ‘Philadelphia chromosome’ (a key cause of chronic myeloid leukaemia), how it was discovered and how it’s discovery influenced the search for a cure.

Full show notes, transcript, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com.

Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney with audio production by Hannah Varrall.

Genetics Shambles 7: COVID expert panel 3 Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

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.com

S3.20 The Future of Cancer: How Genomics is Transforming Research and Treatment for All Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific, we’re taking a look at how genomic technologies are transforming cancer care - now and in the future, and the importance of making sure that these advances are available to all.

With:

- Greg Simon, past president of the Biden Cancer Initiative and former executive director of the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force.

- Jim Downing - president and CEO of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital

- Dr Marianne Grantham, Head of Cytogenetics and Molecular Haematology department at the Royal London Hospital

- Kim Wood, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Clinical Sequencing Division

Full show notes, transcript, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com.

Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney with audio production by Hannah Varrall.

Genetics Shambles 6: Dealing with pathogens Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

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.com

S3.19 Making Babies and Getting Organised: Celebrating Hilde Mangold and Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we’re going back to the very beginning, telling the stories of the midwives of the field of developmental genetics, two talented researchers whose work helped to reveal the secrets of life in its very earliest stages: Hilde Mangold and Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch.

The tale of developmental genetics is a thrilling one, with everything you need for a good story. There’s politics, drama, upheaval, prejudice, and even a suspicious death. So hold on tight, this is a good one.

Full show notes, transcript, music credits and references online at GeneticsUnzipped.com.

Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by Kat Arney with audio production by Hannah Varrall.

Genetics Shambles 5: The evolution of cancer Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

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.com

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected