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
024 - Exploring the Poop-ome, from the microbiome to metagenomics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:14
In this episode we’re getting our hands dirty by delving into the poop-ome - the trillions of bacteria that live inside our guts and make up what’s known as the microbiome. Rather than simply being a bunch of bugs, the m…
023 Mergers and Acquisitions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:49
In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re looking at mergers and acquisitions - but in a biological rather than a financial sense. We find out what happens when two cells decide to…
022 - Big Questions about the Big C [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:29
Why are tumours more likely to develop in some tissues than others? Why are bowel and breast cancers so common when heart cancer is so rare? And will low doses of radiation from medical scans create the conditions for un…
021 In case you missed it... [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:04
In this episode we’re bringing you a selection of our favourite bits from the year so far that you might have missed.We’re taking a short summer break and will be back again with new episodes from the 12th of September.…
020 Sex and Death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:03
Please fill in our short listener survey so we can make the podcasts even better, and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of Kat’s book, Herding Hemingway’s Cats.In this episode from our centenary series e…
019 - The Genetic Time Machine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:26
In this episode we’re taking a trip in a genetic time machine - back into the past to discover the origins of ancient human populations, and into the future to explore the realities of personal genome sequencing.Please f…
018 Cut. Paste. Pair. Repeat. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:23
Please take a moment to do our brief listener survey - https://geneticsunzipped.com/survey - thanks very much.In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re exploring the dark heart of t…
017  Happy 100th Birthday To Us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:46
We’re celebrating the actual birthday of the society - founded on the 25th June, 100 years ago - with past president, Nobel laureate and winner of the Genetics Society’s first centenary medal, Sir Paul Nurse (and some ve…