Genetics Unzipped
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
S3.23 Heat, Stick, Duplicate, Repeat: The Story Of The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who has worked with DNA in the laboratory is undoubtedly familiar with the polymerase chain reaction - PCR, as it’s usually known.Invented in...
Genetics Shambles 9: The ethics of genetics
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever the topic of genetics is mentioned this is always a question of ethics not far behind. Whether that is in Stem Cell research, genetic modific...
S3.22 The Past, Present and Future of the Human Genome Project
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty years ago this month saw the birth of one of the most audacious research programmes in biology: The Human Genome Project, an ambitious plan to ...
Genetics Shambles 8: New genetic technologies
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
S321 From Philadelphia to Baltimore: Tales of Chromosomes, Cancer Cells and Henrietta Lacks
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re taking a road trip from Philadelphia to Baltimore, exploring stories of chromosomal cut-and-paste, cancer cures and Henrietta ...
Genetics Shambles 7: COVID expert panel 3
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Every couple of months we gather a new panel of experts for a Q&A on where things are at with our current understanding of the ongoing COVID-19 pa...
S3.20 The Future of Cancer: How Genomics is Transforming Research and Treatment for All
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific, we’re taking a look at how genomic technologies are transforming cancer care - now and in th...
Genetics Shambles 6: Dealing with pathogens
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
S3.19 Making Babies and Getting Organised: Celebrating Hilde Mangold and Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 res...
Genetics Shambles 5: The evolution of cancer
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
S3.18 Rare, Well Done: Progress and challenges in rare genetic disorders
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 gene...
Genetics Shambles 4: The sequence of everything
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
S3.17 Rebel Cell: Cancer, evolution and the science of life
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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’...
Genetics Shambles 3: Humans - Evolved and evolving
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
S3.16 Sickness and susceptibility: The ancient war between genes and disease
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Genetics Shambles 2: A guide to the human genome
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
S3.15 Pimp My Genome: the wonderful world of epigenetics
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 Lamarck was r...
Genetics Shambles 1: COVID-19 and Learning from the Past
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 sinc...
S3.14 The eyes have it: From genetics to gene therapy
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, supported by the Medical Research Council, we discover how researchers are letting the light shine in, literally, by bringing discove...
S3.13 The Cancer Ladies: Maud Slye and Pauline Gross
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 - wh...
S3.12 Out Standing in the Field: the highs and lows of genetics fieldwork
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re off on our virtual travels, finding out about the highs and lows of genetics fieldwork. From chasing butterflies up mountains to artificially ...
S3.11 From one generation to the next: the life and work of Anne McLaren
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re taking a look at the life of Dame Anne McLaren - one of the leading embryologists of the 20th century, whose work underpinned ...
S3.10 Out of Africa: uncovering history and diversity in the human genome
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re taking a virtual trip to Africa to explore the genetic diversity in the birthplace of humanity, discover how researchers can r...
S3.09 Twisted history: the true story of the double helix
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
S3.08 Nothing about me without me: involving patients in genomic research
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Research into genetic conditions relies on information from patients and their families, whether that’s detailed health records or genomic data. As ...
S3.07 An accidental invention: the story of genetic fingerprinting
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 sto...
S3.06 Can you have a 'perfect genome'? Myths and misconceptions in genomics
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To get involved in the Genomics Education Programme’s week of action you can follow them on Twitter, @genomicsedu, and get on the hashtag #GenomicsC...
S3.05 - Poop, pus and the Manhattan Project: How we learned to spell the genetic alphabet
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 tha...
S3.04 Race to the Bottom
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’re hunting for the ghosts in our genomes, recreating the story of the discovery of the double helix in Lego, and science writer ...
S3.03 - Fish, facts and fiction, from Haeckel’s embryos to Tiktaalik
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode exploring great ideas in genetics, we’re discovering our inner fish - finding out whether we really do go through a fishy phase in t...
S3.02 - Hidden family secrets revealed by genetic testing
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 pers...
S3.01 - Investigating the icons of evolution, from Darwin's Finches to the March of Progress
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re exploring a couple of iconic images in evolution - the much-parodie...
S2.07 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Turi King
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Turi King from the University of Leicester reveals the secrets of the Y chromosome and how the remains of Richard III were identified. Part ...
S2.06 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Celts are one of the most famous - and misunderstood - people who lived in ancient Britain. Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe CBE, FBA from the Univers...
S2.05 New Light on Old Britons - Dr Lara Cassidy
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Lara Cassidy from Trinity College Dublin talks about her work exploring the genomic history of Ireland. Part of our special series from the 2019 Ga...
S2.04 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Sir Walter Bodmer
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Sir Walter Bodmer FRS from the Weatherall Institute, Oxford, explains what we know so far about genetic structure and origins of populations...
S2.03 New Light on Old Britons - Dr Silvia Bello
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Silvia Bello from the Natural History Museum in London is investigating how patterns of human behaviour have changed over the last million years.Pa...
S2.02 New Light on Old Britons - Professor Ian Barnes and Dr Selina Brace
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Ian Barnes and Dr Selina Brace, ancient DNA researchers at the Natural History Museum in Lopndon, discuss how their work on ancient DNA is s...
S2.01 New Light on Old Britons - Galton Institute Symposium 2019 - Nick Ashton
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Nick Ashton, an archaeologist at the British Museum, is studying the earliest humans in Europe.Part of our special series from the 2019 Galt...
028 - Sperm wars, sneaky sheep, substandard stallions and more
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 sne...
027 - Uprooting the tree of life: Darwin, DNA and de-extinction
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re uprooting the tree of life - asking whether we should believe our e...
026 - The future is now: Curing HIV, advancing CRISPR therapies, predatory phages for superbug infections and advice for a healthy life
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re reporting back from the Manova Global Health Summit, exploring the latest advances in health technology such as CRISPR-based gene therapies, i...
025 - When 'Becky' met Bateson: Edith Rebecca Saunders, the mother of British plant genetics
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We explore the story of Edith Rebecca Saunders - co-founder of The Genetics Society and the ‘mother of British plant genetics’.Full show notes, tr...
024 - Exploring the Poop-ome, from the microbiome to metagenomics
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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’...
023 Mergers and Acquisitions
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re looking at mergers and acquisitions - but in a biological rather th...
022 - Big Questions about the Big C
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
021 In case you missed it...
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 b...
020 Sex and Death
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
019 - The Genetic Time Machine
01 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
018 Cut. Paste. Pair. Repeat.
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Please take a moment to do our brief listener survey - https://geneticsunzipped.com/survey - thanks very much.In this episode from our centenary serie...
017 Happy 100th Birthday To Us
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
016 Genetics By Numbers
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our centenary series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re unravelling the story of the double helix, cracking the triplet cod...
015 Up the Garden Path
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Genetics Unzipped, reporter Graihagh Jackson loses herself in the Valley of Hybridisation at the Genetics Society's medal-winning g...
014 The Seeds of a Great Idea
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
013 The Zero Dollar Genome
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The first draft of the human genome came with a price tag running into billions of dollars. In less than twenty years, the cost of whole genome sequen...
012 - Strands of Life
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we explore the discovery of chromosomes - the strands of genetic material within ever...
011 - Darwin vs Mendel
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 wou...
010 - Not just 'the wife' - the overlooked stories of women in genetics
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kat Arney tells the stories of four women from the history of 20th century genetics, and explores how sexism in scientific culture led to their achiev...
009 - Chimps, cancer genes and missing kids
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we bring you a very special interview with Mary-Claire King - one of the world’s leading geneticists, whose work has spanned everyth...
008 - Getting ready for genomic medicine
04 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is a special edition of Genetics Unzipped, in association with the Genomics Education programme - part of Health Education England. We’ll be fi...
007 - Supermodels of science
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re entering the glamorous world of modelling, taking a look at the eclectic coll...
006 - Big fat failure
14 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re looking at the genetics of failure - why we fail to lose weight thanks to our genes, and why billions of dollars are wasted developing drugs t...
005 - Vegetable soup
31 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Genetics Unzipped is the Genetics Society podcast. Written and presented by Dr Kat Arney, produced by Hannah Varrall for First Create the Media. Full ...
004 - Witness the fitness
17 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re taking a dive into the world of evolutionary genetics to witness the fitness - we ask whether street smart city-dwelling birds...
003 - Hunting Huntington's, Nobel viruses and spidergoats
03 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from our series exploring 100 ideas in genetics, we’re hunting down Huntington’s disease, discovering why viruses are so important...
002 - Behind the scenes at the Christmas Lectures
20 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
behind the scenes at the iconic Royal Institution Christmas Lectures with Professors Alice Roberts and Aoife McLysaght - plus the fire-obsessed demons...
001 - Get unzipped!
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Big news! Genetics Unzipped is a new podcast from the Genetics Society, taking a look at the world of genes, genomes and DNA. Here's a quick teaser fr...
Coming soon... Genetics Unzipped - a new science podcast exploring the world of DNA, genes and genomes
27 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas