Genetics Unzipped

By The Genetics Society

Natural Sciences Medicine

What's Genetics Unzipped about?

Genetics Unzipped is a podcast from the UK Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. Find us online at genetics.org.uk

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

Genetics Shambles 6: Dealin...

09.17.2020

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. ...

Genetics Unzipped episodes:

09.17.2020 Genetics Shambles 6: Dealing with pathogens 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. ...
09.10.2020 S3.19 Making Babies and Getting Organised: Celebrating Hilde Mangold and Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch 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 ...
09.03.2020 Genetics Shambles 5: The evolution of cancer 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 ...
08.27.2020 S3.18 Rare, Well Done: Progress and challenges in rare genetic disorders We take a look at the progress that’s been made in tackling rare genetic disorders (and the challenges that remain) and we hear from a prenatal genetic counsellor about how new tests are helping people carrying genetic variations make decisions ...
08.20.2020 Genetics Shambles 4: The sequence of everything Over the first four episodes of this series we’ve looked at COVID-19, historic epidemics, human evolution and the human genome and in each episode we’ve invariably talked about ‘sequencing’. Sequencing genomes and DNA of living things. So we thought it ...
08.13.2020 S3.17 Rebel Cell: Cancer, evolution and the science of life We bring you exclusive excerpts from my new book, Rebel Cell: Cancer, evolution and the science of life, exploring where cancer came from, where it’s going, and how we might beat it.
08.06.2020 Genetics Shambles 3: Humans - Evolved and evolving Over millions of years Humans have evolved into becoming quite the dominant species on the planet. So, how did we get to now? What have we come from and how are we still evolving as a species? And what changes ...
07.30.2020 S3.16 Sickness and susceptibility: The ancient war between genes and disease We look at the ancient war between our genes and the pathogens that infect us, going back thousands of years to the Black Death and before, through to our very latest foe.
07.23.2020 Genetics Shambles 2: A guide to the human genome The Human Genome Project has been referred to as one of the great feats of scientific exploration and discovery in human history. But what was it, and, more to the point, what is the human genome and why was sequencing ...
07.16.2020 S3.15 Pimp My Genome: the wonderful world of epigenetics We take a look at the world of epigenetics - finding out if more than DNA passes on to the next generation, whether Darwin was wrong, and how to pimp your genome. Plus, meet the Mickey Mouse Mice.
07.09.2020 Genetics Shambles 1: COVID-19 and Learning from the Past What can research into past viruses and epidemics tell us about this new pandemic of COVID-19? What has changed in the world of genetics research since the time of HIV for example? Robin Ince chats to Dr Emma Hodcroft, a ...
07.02.2020 S3.14 The eyes have it: From genetics to gene therapy In this episode, supported by the Medical Research Council, we discover how researchers are letting the light shine in, literally, by bringing discoveries about the underlying genetic faults that cause eye diseases all the way through to game-changing clinical trials ...
06.18.2020 S3.13 The Cancer Ladies: Maud Slye and Pauline Gross In this episode we tell the stories of two women - one a scientist fascinated by dancing mice, the other a seamstress with a deadly family legacy - who made significant contributions to our understanding of cancer as a disease ...
06.04.2020 S3.12 Out Standing in the Field: the highs and lows of genetics fieldwork We’re off on our virtual travels, finding out about the highs and lows of genetics fieldwork. From chasing butterflies up mountains to artificially inseminating kakapos with the help of drones and putting angry birds in paper bags until they poo, ...
05.21.2020 S3.11 From one generation to the next: the life and work of Anne McLaren We take a look at the life of leading embryologist Dame Anne McLaren, whose work underpinned the development of the IVF techniques responsible for bringing millions of bundles of joy.
05.07.2020 S3.10 Out of Africa: uncovering history and diversity in the human genome We take a virtual trip to Africa to explore the genetic diversity in the birthplace of humanity and discover how researchers can read the cultural and historical stories written in the genome.
04.23.2020 S3.09 Twisted history: the true story of the double helix 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 Wilkins and Ray Gosling ...
04.09.2020 S3.08 Nothing about me without me: involving patients in genomic research We find out why it’s so important to make sure that both academic and commercial research studies are done with rather than on participants. Recorded at the 2020 Festival of Genomics.
03.26.2020 S3.07 An accidental invention: the story of genetic fingerprinting 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 ...
03.12.2020 S3.06 Can you have a 'perfect genome'? Myths and misconceptions in genomics In this episode in partnership with the Genomics Education Programme, we’re taking a look at some of the common myths and misconceptions surrounding genomics and genetics tests. Are mutations always bad? If you’re more like your mum, does that mean ...
02.27.2020 S3.05 - Poop, pus and the Manhattan Project: How we learned to spell the genetic alphabet If you know a bit of biology, you might know that the genetic code of DNA is written in just four ‘letters’ - A, C, T and G. You may even know that these letters are the initials come from ...
02.13.2020 S3.04 Race to the Bottom In this episode, we’re hunting for the ghosts in our genomes, telling the story of the discovery of the double helix in Lego, and finding out how to argue with a racist.
01.30.2020 S3.03 - Fish, facts and fiction, from Haeckel’s embryos to Tiktaalik We’re discovering our inner fish - finding out whether we really do go through a fishy phase in the womb, and looking at the legacy of Tiktaalik, the first fish to walk on land.
01.16.2020 S3.02 - Hidden family secrets revealed by genetic testing 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 investigation reveals dark family ...
01.02.2020 S3.01 - Investigating the icons of evolution, from Darwin's Finches to the March of Progress In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re exploring a couple of iconic images in evolution - the much-parodied March of Progress, portraying the inexorable journey from monkey to man, and the famous finches of ...
12.19.2019 S2.07 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Turi King Professor Turi King from the University of Leicester reveals the secrets of the Y chromosome and how the remains of Richard III were identified.
12.19.2019 S2.06 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe 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.
12.19.2019 S2.05 New Light on Old Britons - Dr Lara Cassidy Dr Lara Cassidy from Trinity College Dublin talks about her work exploring the genomic history of Ireland.
12.19.2019 S2.04 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Sir Walter Bodmer Professor Sir Walter Bodmer from the Weatherall Institute, Oxford, explains what we know so far about genetic structure and origins of populations of the British Isles.
12.19.2019 S2.03 New Light on Old Britons - Dr Silvia Bello Dr Silvia Bello from the Natural History Museum in London is investigating how patterns of human behaviour have changed over the last million years.
12.19.2019 S2.02 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Ian Barnes and Dr Selina Brace Professor Ian Barnes and Dr Selina Brace, ancient DNA researchers at the Natural History Museum in London, discuss how their work on ancient DNA is shedding light on the British population from the Mesolithic to the Bronze Age.
12.19.2019 S2.01 New Light on Old Britons - Galton Institute Symposium 2019 - Nick Ashton Professor Nick Ashton, an archaeologist at the British Museum, is studying the earliest humans in Europe.
12.05.2019 028 - Sperm wars, sneaky sheep, substandard stallions and more 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 and a ceilidh with a scientific spin. ...
11.21.2019 027 - Uprooting the tree of life: Darwin, DNA and de-extinction 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 species. Plus, the greatest comebacks of all time - we look at the science ...
11.07.2019 026 - The future is now: Curing HIV, advancing CRISPR therapies, predatory phages for superbug infections and advice for a healthy life We’re reporting back from the Manova Global Health Summit, exploring the latest advances in health technology such as CRISPR-based gene therapies, infection-fighting viruses and a potential cure for HIV. Plus veteran health columnist Jane Brody’s advice for a healthy life, ...
10.24.2019 025 - When 'Becky' met Bateson: Edith Rebecca Saunders, the mother of British plant genetics The history of genetics has a few famous partnerships - such as James Watson and Francis Crick or Francois Jacob and Jacques Monod. But there’s one pair without whom this podcast wouldn’t exist at all, and that’s Edith Rebecca Saunders ...
10.10.2019 024 - Exploring the Poop-ome, from the microbiome to metagenomics 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 ...
09.26.2019 023 Mergers and Acquisitions 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 move in ...
09.12.2019 022 - Big Questions about the Big C 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 unruly ...
08.29.2019 021 In case you missed it... A round-up of some of our favourite bits from the year so far.
08.15.2019 020 Sex and Death In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re telling tales of sex, death and extinction, and exploring the very darkest side of genetics.
08.01.2019 019 - The Genetic Time Machine 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.
07.18.2019 018 Cut. Paste. Pair. Repeat. In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re exploring the dark heart of the genome, untying nature’s shoelaces, and looking back at the discovery of RNA splicing.
07.04.2019 017 Happy 100th Birthday To Us 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 very fruity DNA-based ...
06.20.2019 016 Genetics By Numbers In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re unravelling the story of the double helix, cracking the triplet code, and sketching out a Punnet square.
06.06.2019 015 Up the Garden Path We lose ourselves in the Valley of Hybridisation at the Genetics Society's medal-winning garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, and discover the importance of playing with your genes.
05.23.2019 014 The Seeds of a Great Idea In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re taking the train to London with William Bateson as he brings Mendel's ideas to Britain, seeking the secrets of snapdragons, and discovering how to build an army of ...
05.09.2019 013 The Zero Dollar Genome In this episode we talk to George Church about his plans for the ‘Zero Dollar Genome’, and find out how one scientist’s interest in personal genomics got a little too close to home.
04.25.2019 012 - Strands of Life In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we explore the discovery of chromosomes - the strands of genetic material within every living cell - take a look at Lyonisation, and solve the case of the missing ...
04.11.2019 011 - Darwin vs Mendel In this episode we ask, what would have happened if Darwin had read Mendel? And what if they’d been on Twitter? Plus, something else that Darwin would have loved - an ambitious project to sequence the DNA of everything across ...

Older episodes