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
S2.07 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Turi King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:16
Professor Turi King from the University of Leicester reveals the secrets of the Y chromosome and how the remains of Richard III were identified. Part of our special series from the 2019 Galton Institute Symposium - New L…
S2.06 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:53
The Celts are one of the most famous - and misunderstood - people who lived in ancient Britain. Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe CBE, FBA from the University of Oxford explores the myths and the reality. Part of our special…
S2.05 New Light on Old Britons - Dr Lara Cassidy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:34
Dr Lara Cassidy from Trinity College Dublin talks about her work exploring the genomic history of Ireland. Part of our special series from the 2019 Galton Institute Symposium - New Light on Old Britons.Presented and prod…
S2.04 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Sir Walter Bodmer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:26
Professor Sir Walter Bodmer FRS from the Weatherall Institute, Oxford, explains what we know so far about genetic structure and origins of populations of the British Isles. Part of our special series from the 2019 Galton…
S2.03 New Light on Old Britons - Dr Silvia Bello [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:42
Dr Silvia Bello from the Natural History Museum in London is investigating how patterns of human behaviour have changed over the last million years.Part of our special series from the 2019 Galton Institute Symposium - Ne…
028 - Sperm wars, sneaky sheep, substandard stallions and more [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:29
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 a…
027 - Uprooting the tree of life: Darwin, DNA and de-extinction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:05
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 sp…