Science Queeries

This week, we cell-ebrate how far biomedical science has come. We start with the basics: why scientists grow cells in labs, how they do it, and why sometimes a cell line is better than borrowing cells from a real human.

Then, we sit with the story of Henrietta Lacks and the immortal HeLa cells that were taken from her cancer (without consent) that revolutionised medicine. We tackle the massive ethical reckoning they demand. To finish, a leap into the future with organoids and 3D bioprinting, where researchers are literally growing tiny organs and printing living tissues.

Originally aired 9th December, 2025.

The post Culture Shock appeared first on Science Queeries.

HIV targets the very immune cells meant to protect us. But science – and community – keep fighting back. This World AIDS Day, Dr Cat and Dr Jen Juno chat about how HIV infects CD4 T cells and can lead to AIDS, and how ART and PrEP have transformed lives, empowering HIV+ people to thrive, to build relationships, to have sex and families without fear, and to know they are not a risk to the people they love.

But there is still no cure for HIV. Dr Jen is an immunologist who explores the role of T cells in infectious diseases. She leads a research group at The University of Melbourne and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. She is studying the lesser-known, unconventional or “hipster” T cells that could bring us closer to a cure.

While there’s still a long way to go in terms of ensuring access to treatment for all who need it, and working towards a cure, there’s a lot to T cell-ebrate in terms of how far we’ve come.

Originally aired 2nd December, 2025.

The post T-cell-ebrating Progress: HIV, Immunity & Hope appeared first on Science Queeries.

Before you check out at the Black Friday sales… check this Science Queeries episode out.

Why do we fall into a festive food coma after a big Christmas or Thanksgiving feast? Is it the turkey, the carbs, or just the emotional aftermath of spending too many hours with relatives?

Dr Cat is serving up a full Thanksgiving science spread. We’re carving into the psychology that makes Black Friday deals so irresistible. We’re turkey-ing (talking?) about whether your holiday roast really makes you sleepy and the delicious chemistry behind the Maillard reaction: the reason foods turn golden brown, smell incredible, and taste delicious.

So, before you spend more money than you intended (or indulge in enough food to send you into a food coma)…spend a little time listening to this.

Originally aired 25th November, 2025.

The post Stuffed With Science appeared first on Science Queeries.

Ever wondered how much of you is floating around in the cloud? We dive into the world of big data: who gets counted, who gets mis-categorised, and who gets left buffering forever. From algorithmic bias to the very real land and water swallowed up by data centres, we’re unpacking the hidden costs of the digital world.

When it comes to artificial intelligence and big data, the world is messy… and beautifully so. We’ve seen how technology can scale harm, scale hope, and sometimes scale chaos.

Dr Cat and technologist Dr Sophia Frentz decode what machine learning algorithms get wrong about people, especially transgender and gender-diverse communities. We’re talking the cloud, the costs, and the marginalised communities who end up paying the most. We’re also talking about the beautiful opportunities that AI can provide.

On LGBTQIA+ STEMM Day and in Transgender Awareness Week especially, Dr Cat is grateful for people like Dr Sophia, who remind us that science gets better – and more inclusive – when everyone gets to show up as their full self.

Originally aired 18th November, 2025.

The post Cloudy With a Chance of Bias appeared first on Science Queeries.

We’re getting very meta: communicating about science communication.

Why do some people have more of a “head start” when it comes to pursuing STEM? Shanii Phillips teaches us how to make some serious capital gains – science capital gains that is – and boost your interest in STEM.

Shanii is a PhD student at the Australian National University and based SciTech exploring the idea of “science capital” and how science centres and science communication can help everyone feel at home in STEM. We explore how science capital can make or break someone’s sense of scientific identity.

Then, Dr Cat dives into the science behind the so-called “male” and “female” brain and how that myth that they’re different led to neurosexism. This episode all about belonging — in science centres, in STEM careers, and even inside your own head.

Originally aired 11th November, 2025.

The post Mind the gap: from science capital to “gendered” brains appeared first on Science Queeries.

Who you gonna call? Ghost Busters!

For Halloween, the Ghost Buster is Dr Cat. She talks about the history of Halloween and Día de los Muertos, sheds some light on glowing will-o’-the-wisps, de-spookifies ghosts, and gets all tangled up in the fang-tastic science of spiders.From mysterious ghost lights to spider-powered robots, she’s proving that even the creepiest science stories can be illuminating…and even useful.

Originally aired 28th October, 2025.

The post Spooktacular Science appeared first on Science Queeries.

Around one third of the food on your plate is there thanks to the hard work of bees. We’re buzzing with excitement to chat about bees! Thanks to Clancy Lester, aka the Bee Man of “Bees and Blossoms”, for bee-ing on the show this week.

Dr Cat chats with ecologist Clancy about his research with the Yolŋu people and their deep connection to bees, honey, and Country – and how these tiny pollinators are crucial for conservation of Australian ecosystem. From Arnhem Land to backyard bee hotels, we’re diving into the world of Australia’s incredible native bees. Plus, we explore how bees do arithmetic (yes, really!) and how building a simple bee hotel can help protect biodiversity.

Originally aired 21st October, 2025.

The post A Bee-nomenal Theorem appeared first on Science Queeries.

How does the immune system bite back against malaria?

Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The parasites travel to the liver and then infect red blood cells, leading to symptoms.

But thanks to immunologists like Dr Kristina Burrack, we have a fighting chance!

Dr Kristina is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota and the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute. Dr Cat chats to her about how her work and other vaccination approaches from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity could give us a real shot at stopping malaria.

Originally aired 14th October, 2025.

The post First Rule of Bite Club: Buzz Off Malaria appeared first on Science Queeries.

What do you think of when you think “renewable energy”? What is one change we can make to drastically reduce our individual impact on the planet? What should we be planting in our gardens if we’re rooting for the planet?

It’s a takeover! Dr Cat sits back from the microphones this week to let three science communication students take the reins.

Dominique Bezzina, Daniel Nørkjær Badenskov, and Erin Koster turn up the geothermal heat, raise the steaks on sustainability, and dig deep into permaculture. From the ground beneath our feet to the food on our plates, they cover the whole ecosystem, thinking about how we can all be a bit more sustainable.

Originally aired 7th October, 2025.

The post Sussing out Sustainability appeared first on Science Queeries.

We’re bringing science back from the dead — almost literally! Dr Cat chats to Professor Andrew Pask, who is developing tools and resources to de-extinct the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) – which could help save endangered marsupials before they vanish for good. They explore how gene editing, stem cells and assisted reproduction could give our lost and threatened marsupials a second life.

Professor Andrew is a well-renowned geneticist and conservation biologist at The University of Melbourne. He leads the aptly named TIGRR (Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research) Lab, and his work will help the Tassie tiger thyla-shine again! This episode may give you some real paws for thought about extinction and conservation science!

Originally aired 30th September, 2025.

The post Thy of the tiger appeared first on Science Queeries.