Much of the coverage of COVID immunity often focuses on antibody response and for good reason - these small, y-shaped proteins can detect, and in some cases neutralise, viruses like SARS-CoV-2. But as variants like Omicron evolve to evade antibodies, the role of another part of the immune system, T cells, has been brought into sharper focus. These immune cells work in a different way to antibodies, attacking infected cells rather than the virus itself, which can make their response broader and m...
Jan 28, 2022•Transcript available on Metacast Getting electric planes to take off, and the latest from the Nature Briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 26, 2022•Transcript available on Metacast The burgeoning field of precision public health is a tech-centric approach that looks to target public-health interventions to the specific people who need them.Precision approaches are taking off and its advocates say this concept promises to save money and lives. However, other researchers are concerned that as funders provide huge amounts of money for precision-public-health initiatives, the focus will be taken away from conventional public health approaches that could improve the lives of mi...
Jan 24, 2022•Transcript available on Metacast As of January 2022, the WHO reports that 5.5 million people have lost their lives to the pandemic. However, many research groups suggests that this number is likely to be a significant underestimate, although it is hard to be certain as counting mortality across the world is an exceptionally difficult task. In this episode of Coronapod we ask why, and delve into the range of approaches scientists are taking to try to get to the bottom of the sticky problem - from excess death counts, t...
Jan 21, 2022•Transcript available on Metacast Challenging the dogma of gene evolution, and how chiral nanoparticles could give vaccines a boost. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 19, 2022•Transcript available on Metacast As our environments change, so too do the sounds they make — and this change in soundscape can effect us in a whole host of ways, from our wellbeing to the way we think about conservation. In this Podcast Extra we hear from one researcher, Simon Butler, who is combining citizen science data with technology to recreate soundscapes lost to the past. Butler hopes to better understand how soundscapes change in response to changes in the environment, and use this to look forward to the soundscapes of...
Jan 14, 2022•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Nature Podcast, we catch up on the biggest science stories from the holiday period by diving into the Nature Briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 12, 2022•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Nature reporter Davide Castelvecchi joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2022. We'll hear about vaccines, multiple Moon missions, the push to save biodiversity, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 05, 2022•Transcript available on Metacast Cutting-edge microscopy techniques are letting researchers visualize biological molecules within cells, rather than studying them in isolation. This approach is providing new insights into how these structures interact in this complex environment.This is an audio version of our feature: The secret lives of cells — as never seen before Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 31, 2021•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Nature Podcast team select some of their favourite stories from the past 12 months. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 29, 2021•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Games, seasonal science songs, and Nature’ s 10. 01:12 "Oh powered flight" In the first of our festive songs, We pay tribute to NASA's Ingenuity craft - which took the first powered flight on another planet earlier this year. Lyrics by Noah Baker and performed by The Simon Langton School choir, directed by Emily Renshaw-Kidd. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the lyrics. Video: Flying a helicopter on Mars: NASA's Ingenuity News: Lift off! First flight on Mars launches new way to e...
Dec 22, 2021•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Several weeks after the Omicron variant was first identified, it has quickly spread across the world. Early data are showing clear signals that the latest variant of concern is able to evade immunity and spread at a rate faster than any other variant to date. But many questions remain unanswered about the severity of infection, the protection afforded by natural and vaccine-derived immunity, and the impact Omicron could have on the global pandemic response. In this episode , we delve into ...
Dec 17, 2021•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast An explanation for giant ice structures on Pluto, and dismantling the mestizo myth in Latin American genetics. In this episode: 00:46 The frozen root of Pluto’s polygonal patterns In 2015, NASA’s New Horizons probe sent back some intriguing images of Pluto. Huge polygonal patterns could be seen on the surface of a nitrogen-ice ice filled basin known as Sputnik Planitia. This week, a team put forward a new theory to explain these perplexing patterns. Research article: Morison et al. 06:15 Researc...
Dec 15, 2021•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vaccines significantly reduce the risk of developing COVID-19, but scientists are now asking what effect the vaccines might have on long COVID. Long COVID is a somewhat ill-defined, but common, syndrome that can arise from even mild cases of COVID19 - with symptoms ranging from chronic fatigue to breathing difficulties and even neurological deficiency. But little is known about what triggers long COVID, or how to prevent it. As public health experts consider protection measures, the role of vacc...
Dec 10, 2021•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Speeding up comparisons of behavioural interventions, and what to expect from the James Webb Space Telescope. In this episode: 00:45 Identifying effective interventions with a 'megastudy' Comparing single behavioural interventions and identifying which is most effective can be difficult and time consuming, hampering policy-making decisions. This week, a team demonstrate a ‘megastudy’, which allows researchers to compare multiple interventions within the same group of people. Research article: Mi...
Dec 08, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Studying mental health in populations is not a simple task, but as the pandemic has continued, mounting concerns have mobilised researchers. Now, researchers have used data from helplines in 20 countries to assess the impacts that COVID, as well as associated political and public health measures like financial assistance programs and lockdowns, have had on mental health. Contrary to expectations, loneliness and concerns about the impacts of the pandemic drove most of the callers, rather than imm...
Dec 03, 2021•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Designing a nutritious and planet-friendly diet, and an AI that guides mathematicians. In this episode: 00:46 Designing a healthy diet for the planet Researchers are trying to develop diets that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time providing nutrition. Some of these sustainable diets are now being tested to see if they work in local contexts without damaging livelihoods. Feature: What humanity should eat to stay healthy and save the planet 08:24 Research Highlights How ...
Dec 01, 2021•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast A host of private companies are promising commercial fusion reactors in the next decade. After decades of promise, it finally seems that nuclear fusion is approaching commercial viability. Companies around the world are securing huge amounts of funding, and advances in materials research and computing are enabling technologies other than the standard designs to be pursued. This is an audio version of our feature: The chase for fusion energy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...
Nov 29, 2021•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a quickly developing story a new variant, first detected in Botswana, is triggering rapid action among researchers. The variant - currently named B.1.1.529 has more than 30 changes to the spike protein - and the concern is that these mutations may result in increased transmissibility, severity of disease or even antibody evasion. In this episode of Coronapod , we discuss what we know so far, how scientists are searching for answers and what this could mean for the pandemic. News: ...
Nov 26, 2021•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Nature salary and satisfaction survey reveals researchers' outlook, and NASA’s test of planetary defences. In this episode: 00:45 Salary and satisfaction survey Like all aspects of life, scientific careers have been impacted by the pandemic. To get an insight into how researchers are feeling, Nature has conducted a salary and satisfaction survey. We hear from some of the respondents. Careers Feature: Stagnating salaries present hurdles to career satisfaction 09:07 Research Highlights The phy...
Nov 24, 2021•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Spineless sea squirts shed light on vertebrate evolution, and an iodine-fuelled engine powering a satellite in space. In this episode: 00:45 A story of sea squirts, ancient vertebrates and missing genes When a PhD student set out to study the developmental pathways of a strange sea creature, he hoped to shed light on the origins of vertebrate animals. Instead, researchers found themselves investigating a strange case of missing genes. We hear why gene loss could be a more significant factor in e...
Nov 17, 2021•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two new anti-viral pills have been shown to be safe and effective against COVID in clinical trials, according to recent press releases. The drugs, molnupiravir, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, and Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer both appear to significantly reduce hospitalisation in people with early COVID. Some researchers are quietly hopeful that these new weapons in the anti-COVID arsenal could have a big impact, in particular in parts of the world where vaccines are stil...
Nov 12, 2021•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Reassessing 24,000 years of global temperatures, and on the ground at COP26. In this episode: 01:21 Reassessing Earth’s climate over the past 24,000 years The ~20,000 year period from the Last Glacial Maximum to the pre-industrial era saw huge changes to the Earth’s climate. But characterising how temperatures changed during this time has been difficult, with different methods producing different results. Now, a team have combined two techniques, which they hope will provide new insights into th...
Nov 10, 2021•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lake Kivu, nestled between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, is a geological anomaly that holds 300 cubic kilometres of dissolved carbon dioxide and 60 cubic kilometres of methane. The lake has the potential to explosively release these gases, which could fill the surrounding valley, potentially killing millions of people. Researchers are trying to establish the likelihood of such an event happening, and the best way to safely siphon the gases from the lake. This is an audio versi...
Nov 08, 2021•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last weekend, hundreds of young people boarded a specially chartered train in Amsterdam to travel to Glasgow ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate summit. Among them were scientists, activists and policy makers. In a Nature Podcast special, we boarded the train to catch up with some of them - to talk about their science, their motivations and their message. News: All aboard the climate train! Scientists join activists for COP26 trip Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissab...
Nov 03, 2021•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast More that 3 billions doses of China's CoronaVac and Sinopharm vaccines have been administered across the globe, playing an especially important role in Latin America and South East Asia, as well as China. These vaccines use inactivated virus particles to expose the immune system to Sars-CoV-2, but they do not appear to generate the same levels of neutralising antibodies as other vaccine platforms such as those based on mRNA. Now studies are suggesting that this protection may be waning more quic...
Oct 29, 2021•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The unexpected origins of a 4000-year-old people, protecting your ‘digital presence’ and what to expect from COP26. In this episode: 00:48 The origins of the mysterious Tarim mummies For decades there has been debate about the origins of a group of 4000-year-old individuals known as the Tarim Basin mummies. Their distinct appearance and clothing has prompted scientists to hypothesise they had migrated from the North or West. Now, a team of researchers have used modern genomics to shed new light ...
Oct 27, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast People that have recovered from COVID are seeing stronger immune responses after vaccination than those that never contracted the virus. Researchers are now racing to unpick what is behind this powerful 'hybrid immunity'. In this episode of Coronapod , we discuss a series of studies which are offering up some possibile explanations, and ask how this might inform publish health policy in the future. News: COVID super-immunity: one of the pandemic’s great puzzles Subscribe to Nat...
Oct 25, 2021•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast An ancient solar storm helps pinpoint when Vikings lived in the Americas, and using magnets to deftly move non-magnetic metals. In this episode: 00:53 Pinpointing Viking presence in North America It’s well-understood that Vikings went to North America around a thousand years ago. However, working out a precise date has proven difficult. Now, thanks to an ancient solar storm, researchers have been able to identify an individual year when Vikings were definitely living on the continent. Research a...
Oct 20, 2021•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hundreds of scientists have responded to a survey asking about harassment and abuse during the pandemic. The results paint a picture which is as concerning as it is shocking. In this episode of Coronapod we discuss the kinds of abuse scientists are facing, try to pick apart where it is comes from and ask what can be done about it? News Feature: ‘I hope you die’: how the COVID pandemic unleashed attacks on scientists Careers feature: Real-life stories of online harassment ...
Oct 18, 2021•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
