Half a million genomes. That's how many the UK Biobank has, stored as blood samples in freezers up in Manchester. And in September 2019 they announced a project to sequence every single one of them. It's the obvious next step for the UK Biobank, the research study that began in 2006 and now consists of an enormous biological database: the personal and medical information of its 500,000 volunteers. That data is available to any researcher who applies to use it. But how is this, the biggest whole-...
Oct 14, 2019•30 min•Ep. 79
It's a doggy dog world... in this episode we're talking pugs, bulldogs, and French bulldogs. They've all been bred for flat faces, but their airways haven't shrunk alongside their skulls - meaning that they often struggle to breathe. How has this happened? After evolving for millions of years, why are their airways literally too big to fit into their heads? Have they been betrayed by their own genes? Naked Genetics is on the case. Plus, the origin of puppy dog eyes, and we sequence the genome of...
Sep 14, 2019•31 min•Ep. 78
Naked Genetics is back with new episodes every month! Today we're taking a step back. Where does genetics actually come from? How did we get to today's world of genome sequences and gene editing? It all started with a 19th-Century monk, working in his garden - but who was he really, and how did it take thirty years for him to be recognised? If you think you know this story, you might be surprised. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
Aug 14, 2019•30 min•Ep. 77
Join Harvard DNA pioneer George Church and Chris Smith in conversation as they discuss gene cloning, DNA sequencing, decoding the mammoth genome, the risks posed by fossil viruses lurking in extinct genomes, the prospects of xenotransplantation and safety of gene therapy, and the risks of human CRISPR. The discussion was recorded on March 15th, live in front of a studio audience at the Hello Tomorrow Summit, in Paris, 2019... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
Mar 24, 2019•31 min•Ep. 76
In November, He Jiankui claimed that two genetically engineered children have been born. Did he really do it? And if so, what are the ramifications for the babies and for the field? Georgia Mills explores the controversy in a special edition of Naked Genetics. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Dec 21, 2018•28 min•Ep. 75
We're returning to the scene of the crime with another look at the latest techniques in the world of forensic genetics - can we really predict physical features or even ethnicity from your DNA, and what does this mean for our criminal justice system? Plus, is the 'CSI effect' real? And our gene of the month would be more at home at a rave than a lab. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Apr 13, 2018•33 min•Ep. 74
We're off to a festival - but before you worry about where your tent and wellies are, it's the Festival of Genomics, held at a clean and dry conference centre in London rather than a muddy field full of rock bands and dodgy burgers. Plus, what does the public really think of genetic technology? And a fiery gene of the month. This is the Naked Genetics podcast for March 2018, brought to you in association with The Genetics Society. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scienti...
Mar 14, 2018•40 min•Ep. 73
It's CSI Naked Genetics, as we find out how genetic technology is used to solve crimes. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Feb 14, 2018•31 min•Ep. 72
We take a trip back to the womb and before, to find out about early development. Plus, the importance of placentas, why the age of your womb rather than your eggs matters, and a video game-inspired gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Jan 14, 2018•35 min•Ep. 71
This month we're finding out how genetic advances are shaping the future of healthcare at the Genetics Society autumn meeting. Plus, signposts for bees and an operatic gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Dec 14, 2017•33 min•Ep. 70
This month we're off to the zoo to meet some lovelorn laughing thrushes, endangered snails, and the Cilla Black of Sumatran Tigers. Plus, a sneak preview of this year's Genetics Society JBS Haldane lecture, and a gene of the month that likes a tipple. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Nov 14, 2017•35 min•Ep. 69
You're a mammal. I'm a mammal. Your pet cat or dog is a mammal, as are whales, lemurs, pandas and polar bears. But what exactly is a mammal, and what can our genes tell us about our evolution? Plus, school students take on the whipworm genome, the surprising genetic diversity of Papua New Guinea, and a gene of the month that's up all night. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Oct 13, 2017•32 min•Ep. 68
Would you ever consider donating your genome to research? We meet a man who has, and find out why. Plus, we get our hands dirty in the search for new antibiotics, take a look at the ethics of human gene editing, and our gene of the month is getting ahead in life. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Sep 13, 2017•31 min•Ep. 67
As scientists announce that they have used CRISPR technology to fix a faulty gene in a human embryo - not for the first time, but more accurately than ever before - we take a look at storing, writing and editing in DNA. Plus, our gene of the month is all ears. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Aug 13, 2017•35 min•Ep. 66
This month we're taking a look at the role that genes play in dementia, and finding out how researchers are using this knowledge to develop urgently-needed treatments. Plus, a big release of big data from the UK Biobank, and our gene of the month is an expert swordsman. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Jul 13, 2017•30 min•Ep. 65
This month we're literally getting inside our genes, as we explore chromosomes through a 3-dimensional virtual reality art, music and science project. Plus, researchers are turning to bees, trees and more in search of new genetic systems, and our gene of the month has been around for a while. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Jun 13, 2017•34 min•Ep. 64
This month we're zooming in on cancer, finding out how researchers are tackling tumours in unprecedented detail. Plus, our gene of the month is the guardian of your genome, rather than the galaxy. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
May 13, 2017•44 min•Ep. 63
We might joke about the battle of the sexes, but it turns out that this is actually true - at least for a hundred or so imprinted genes. Plus, what opossums can teach us about sex, reporting back from a very special scientific meeting, and a superhero-styled gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Apr 13, 2017•32 min•Ep. 62
The DNA sequencing revolution is providing ever more data about genomes from all kinds of species, from humans to bacteria. But how do we make sense of it all? Who gets their hands on it? And how do we use it to benefit patients? We meet the scientists developing new computer tools to analyse and democratise global genomics. Plus, how your partner's genes affect you - assuming you're a mouse - and a shrunken gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
Mar 15, 2017•29 min•Ep. 61
Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells - but these aren't mere biological building blocks, as inert as bricks. They're constantly communicating and changing. So how do scientists measure this? Plus, you can now take part in an international survey about genetics knowledge, a GIANT study throws up new genes linked to height, and a romantic gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Feb 14, 2017•30 min•Ep. 60
We hear a lot about genetic modification and how it's being used to improve agriculture. But who decides whether modified crops can be grown? Do new gene editing techniques like CRISPR count as GM? And what happens to these regulations when the UK leaves the EU? Plus, our gene of the month comes with a tale behind it. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Jan 14, 2017•29 min•Ep. 59
The story of human evolution is long and complicated, but the simple truth is - you're only here because your ancestors got lucky. Plus, we wind the clock back to the very start of human life, and discover how new research is pushing back the frontiers of human embryology. Plus a suitably festive gene of the month. This is the Naked Genetics podcast for December 2016 with me, Dr Kat Arney, brought to you in association with The Genetics Society, online at genetics.org.uk. Like this podcast? Plea...
Dec 14, 2016•30 min•Ep. 58
This month we're delving into the junk in the genome - or, to put it more correctly - our non-coding DNA. Less than 2 per cent of the human genome contains protein-coding genes, so what does all the rest do? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Nov 14, 2016•30 min•Ep. 57
We hear more than ever about the secrets hidden in our genes, from our risk of diseases to traits such as intelligence or even sporting ability. But can we really test for them? And just because we can, does that mean we should? Plus, an extremely popular - and extremely distracting - gene of the month. This is the Naked Genetics podcast for October 2016 with me, Dr Kat Arney, brought to you in association with The Genetics Society, online at genetics.org.uk. Like this podcast? Please help us by...
Oct 13, 2016•30 min•Ep. 56
This month we've got a special bonus-length podcast commemorating twenty years since the birth of Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Her birth changed the scientific world, and led to the development of other transformative technologies. Plus, our gene of the month is keeping a straight face. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Sep 13, 2016•41 min•Ep. 55
40 years ago Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene hit the shelves. We look back on how it changed the way many people think about genetics. Plus, linking nurture to nature, and a gigantic gene of the month. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Aug 13, 2016•30 min•Ep. 54
Building a baby is a complicated business, with millions of cells needing to work together. So how does it happen? Plus, how big data is making big strides in big genes, and our gene of the month is going round and round in circles. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
Jul 13, 2016•30 min•Ep. 53
Genes, genomes and genetic technology are playing increasingly important parts in our lives, industries, food and healthcare, and at a point in the not-too-distant future we're probably going to have to grapple with at least some of the contents of our DNA. But is the public really prepared to look inside its genes? Plus, the company aiming to bring molecular biology labs for all, and our gene of the month is crunchy on the outside. This is the Naked Genetics podcast for June 2016 with me, Dr Ka...
Jun 13, 2016•30 min•Ep. 52
You may not realise it, but your health, immune system and even love-life are governed by the particular set of so-called compatibility genes that you inherit. There are thousands of different variations in these genes, but why do we have such diversity and does it matter? Plus, we dig into the latest research on cancer genetics - how studying hundreds of tumour genomes might bring forward new breast cancer cures. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
May 13, 2016•30 min•Ep. 51
As the costs of DNA analysis come down, we've seen the rise of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, allowing anyone to spit in a tube, pop it in the post and get a personalised readout direct to their inbox. But what do these tests actually reveal? Plus, how advertising execs can help us talk about genes, digging up the secrets in dogs genomes, and our gene of the month is totally legless. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists...
Apr 13, 2016•30 min•Ep. 50
