Genetics Shambles 8: New genetic technologies

Genetics Shambles 8: New genetic technologies

Author: The Genetics Society October 15, 2020 Duration: 50:35

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.


Ever wondered how a monk's garden peas changed science, or what your own DNA might reveal about you? Genetics Unzipped, presented by The Genetics Society, explores these questions and countless others, weaving together the past, present, and future of heredity. This isn't a dry lecture series; it's a collection of conversations and narratives that make the complex world of genes feel immediate and fascinating. Each episode delves into a specific story, whether it's a historical breakthrough, a debate in modern medicine, or the surprising genetic connections in nature and our daily lives. You'll hear from researchers, historians, and sometimes the subjects of genetics themselves, all unpacking how DNA shapes health, fitness, evolution, and what it means to be alive. The podcast moves seamlessly from the fundamentals to the frontiers, making the science accessible without oversimplifying the profound implications. Tune in for a thoughtful and engaging exploration that goes far beyond the helix, examining the very code that writes our stories.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 168

Genetics Unzipped
Podcast Episodes
S3.09 Twisted history: the true story of the double helix [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:58
The names of James Watson and Francis Crick are inextricably linked with the discovery of the DNA double helix. And if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that credit is also due to Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilki…
S3.07 An accidental invention: the story of genetic fingerprinting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:26
35 years ago this month, a small team of scientists at the University of Leicester published a paper that changed the world. We take a look at the story of genetic fingerprinting, and some of the very first ways that thi…
S3.04 Race to the Bottom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:03
In this episode, we’re hunting for the ghosts in our genomes, recreating the story of the discovery of the double helix in Lego, and science writer and broadcaster Adam Rutherford tells us how to argue with a racist. Ful…
S3.02 - Hidden family secrets revealed by genetic testing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:47
It’s become cheaper and easier than ever to access genetic testing, and more and more people are having their genomes ‘done’ for reasons of personal interest, health or ancestry. But what happens when an innocent genetic…