Naked Genetics, from the Naked Scientists

CRISPR: the cutting edge of gene editing

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this edition of Naked Genetics, we take a closer look at CRISPR gene editing. What is it? And what are the ethics involved in rewriting the human g...

Debunking 'junk' DNA

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Naked Genetics: What new DNA techniques are revealing about human sacrifices in Mayan culture; we debunk the 'junk', in junk DNA; a...

Will It Sequence? Synthetic DNA

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Naked Genetics: How much of your personality is down to your DNA; we also look at synthetic DNA, and why we'd want to make it; plus...

Will It Sequence? 700-year-old DNA

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Naked Genetics: A mammoth discovery in ancient DNA structure; on the subject of ancient DNA, what can we sequence for a centuries o...

Will It Sequence: How effective is handwashing?

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Naked Genetics: The risk factors between schizophrenia and substance use disorder have had a fresh genetic examination; I put Illum...

Will It Sequence? What grows on your food?

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Naked Genetics: What the latest genetics research has to say about restless leg syndrome; I put Illumina to the test and ask, 'what...

Will It Sequence? Hunting drug resistant bugs

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this month's edition of Naked Genetics: Why a genetic bottleneck created decades ago means some whales are in deep water; how wastewater is helping...

ADHD advantages, and mining microbiomes

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of Naked Genetics: has the evolutionary advantage to ADHD been uncovered? Also, We look at the microbiome of mining. And, the only verteb...

The roamin' Roman Empire, and Charles Darwin's love life

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this edition of Naked Genetics: The surprising findings of a roman empire diversity study; Are hybrid animals the way out of the biodiversity crisi...

The origin of Europe's MS disease, and South Pole sequencing

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of Naked Genetics, the origins of multiple sclerosis markers in northern Europe is revealed, and why it might have helped more people tha...

Testing for genetic diseases, and bats with big penises

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of Naked Genetics, we catch up with our genetics experts and look into the hot button genetics news; we look at how genetics affects our ...

Is vegetarianism genetic, and the penis-eating spider

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode, we catch up with some of the more curious genetics news from the past month including how much Neanderthal is in you and how that affect...

COVID In Your Genes: The Risk Factors

14 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Do our genes control how we respond to COVID? The question has been nagging at the world since the pandemic began. Now we have the answer - and it's y...

The Genes Who Came in for the Cold

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do we cope at the extremes of low temperature? Across the world, groups of people have historically made their home in icy and inhospitable landsc...

How To Tell Coronavirus Variants Apart

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're looking at the most critical variants of the coronavirus, and finding out how to tell whether they're flummoxing COVID vaccines. Plus: the cost ...

Identical Twins: Not Identical?

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meet the small DNA differences that make their mark by existing in the magical period of early development. We'll hear how mutations in the very first...

RNA vaccines, privacy, and penguins

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The first group of people in the world have received a 'genetic' vaccine against the coronavirus. What is it, and how does it work? Naked Scientist Ch...

Mink, Ivory, & a Disease Discovered Backwards

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's a regular Noah's Ark: from the coronavirus strains that have been spreading through minks, to a new DNA test that can track poached elephant ivor...

Slave Trade, Neanderthals, & COVID

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week: a risk factor for severe COVID that comes from Neanderthals; using genes to track the millions transported as slaves across the Atlantic; a...

How To Survive Poison

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week, a message from Naked Scientists listener Loretta. "I'm curious if your show might cover some of the most interesting case studies of organi...

The Inner Lives of Birds

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tweet tweet! We're talking birds, and the incredible things they can do. Today we're spotlighting five of the coolest recent stories in bird genetics:...

Female Mosaicism: The Stronger Sex?

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The same thing that makes the patchwork colours on a tortoiseshell cat, also - according to some - is why human females live longer, see colour better...

Fermented foods: the real deal?

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We take a look at the trendy world of fermented foods. Are they actually good for you? And if so, why? Plus, the latest genetics news: from bacteria t...

ACE2: The Coronavirus Gateway

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are you one of the many people who take ACE inhibitors or ARBs to treat high blood pressure? Or to help with heart issues or diabetes? In the UK, this...

The Coronavirus Mutation Situation

15 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we're taking apart the tiny creature behind this global pandemic. From how looking at the genes of the coronavirus can help figure out...

Gene Genealogy & The Lost Family

14 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest tech booms of the past half decade has been direct to consumer DNA tests. The results come in the post, and with them come both ans...

FOXG1 Syndrome: Fighting the Odds

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Listener Vivek got in touch with a question about a rare genetic disease his son has, called FOXG1 Syndrone. In fact, it's so rare - and so newly-disc...

The Fly Infest-agation

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We got a Christmas present from listener Anna: a small plastic tube full of dead flies. They've recently been infesting the hospital where she works. ...

African genetics and ethics

14 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There are very few African studies in genetics. And on the whole, there is a big European bias in the field. In Europe there are resources of hundreds...

What's in the water?

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This month we're diving into the stuff that makes up two thirds of the Earth's surface. Can you use genetics to figure out what's in the water? We put...

Quadrillions: Sequencing the UK Biobank

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Dog Show

14 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

Mendel's Trick

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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'...

Decoding a Mammoth with George Church

24 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Join Harvard DNA pioneer George Church and Chris Smith in conversation as they discuss gene cloning, DNA sequencing, decoding the mammoth genome, the ...

The CRISPR baby controversy

21 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The future of forensic genetics

13 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 physica...

A Festival of Genomics

14 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 conferenc...

Crime scene genes

14 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 Scie...

Back to the womb

14 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

The future of genomic medicine

14 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This month we're finding out how genetic advances are shaping the future of healthcare at the Genetics Society autumn meeting. Plus, signposts for bee...

Matchmaking at the zoo

14 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 prev...

Evolution's luxury item

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Exposing the contents of your genes

13 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Store, write, edit

13 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Genes and dementia

13 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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-n...

Bees, tress and 3-D genes

13 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This month we're literally getting inside our genes, as we explore chromosomes through a 3-dimensional virtual reality art, music and science project....

Tackling tumours, curing cancer

13 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 gu...

Battle of the sexes

13 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 op...

Putting genomics to work

15 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

Science and the single cell

14 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Genes, laws and Brexit

14 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 g...

All human life is here

14 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Searching for switches

14 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 con...

Testing, testing

13 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Hello Dolly

13 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 adu...

40 years of selfishness

13 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Signal to noise

13 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

Genes for all

13 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Genes, genomes and genetic technology are playing increasingly important parts in our lives, industries, food and healthcare, and at a point in the no...

Check your compatibility

13 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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...

What's in your genes?

13 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 po...

Designer genes

14 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The recent invention of powerful precision tools for editing the human genome - known as CRISPR, has opened up new worlds of possibilities for researc...

Crazy for CRISPR

14 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

It's the hottest new biotechnology technique to hit the headlines since well, since ever. CRISPR is a precision set of genome editing tools enabling s...

Naked Genetics 47

14 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

This month we bring you a bumper edition, packed full of all our favourite bits from the past four years. Like this podcast? Please help us by support...

Naked Genetics 46

14 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Synthetic biology - engineering life - is set to revolutionise the world, but how? We'll be hearing about some of the most exciting applications for s...

Why don't elephants get cancer?

14 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Animals like elephants and whales are made up of many more cells than a human, or a mouse, and they live far longer. Yet they hardly ever get cancer -...

Engineering life

13 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine designing bacteria that can do whatever you want - from cleaning up oil spills to churning out the latest cancer treatments - ordering the bio...

Hundreds and Thousands

13 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to figuring out which genes and genetic variations are linked to particular traits and diseases, there's only one way to do it, and that...

Mysterious methylation

13 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

There's more to life than the four letters of DNA, and our cells use a chemical tag known as DNA methylation to mark out certain parts of the genome, ...

The wonderful world of epigenetics

13 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Genes are the instructions that tell our cells what to do, but how do different types of cells know which genes to switch on or off at the right time?...

Breeding a better cow

13 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, breeders have been selecting plants and animals with desirable genetic traits. So how have some of these changes come about, and where ...

The story of maize

13 May 2015

Contributed by Lukas

You may not realise it, but all the food you eat has been genetically altered over time by plant and animal breeders, capturing advantageous traits to...

Patenting and preserving genes

13 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

There are few things in life as important as the food we eat, but making sure that we guard the genes in our crops for the future is just as important...

A hundred thousand genomes

14 Mar 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past year the Government has unveiled an audacious programme under the banner of Genomics England, aiming to sequence the genomes of 100,000 ...

Genetically Modified plants

14 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Genetically modified, or GM, crops are a hot topic. Some people are deeply suspicious of the technology while others see it as an effective and effici...

Clever mice and drunken flies

14 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

How do we learn complex tasks like playing the piano? Why can we remember things better after a good night's sleep? And why do people - and fruit flie...

Searching for the engram

14 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

For many years scientists have been searching for the mysterious engram - the place in the brain where memories are kept. And thanks to advances in ge...

Targeting cancer genes

14 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Every year in the UK more than 330,000 people are diagnosed with cancer. The good news is that more and more are surviving, and there's hope that the ...

Genes, ageing and metabolism

13 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Could we one day be popping pills that tweak our metabolism and make us live longer? It's not as far off as you might think. Plus, the cow genome goes...

Long live our genes

13 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Every day we get older, and whether you're desperately resisting the march of time, or embracing the ageing process, most of us would agree we want to...

Genes for sore eyes

13 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

From the beauty of a sunset or the ugliness of war to the smile on a loved one's face, our eyes bring us all kinds of information about the world arou...

Issues for genetic testing

13 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Whether we like it or not, we're heading further along the road of genetic testing, not just for single genes but for complex diseases and even ancest...

Gene therapy - Cystic fibrosis, blindness and more

13 Jun 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty years ago, gene therapy was a great hope for the future of medicine - directly tinkering with faulty genes to cure diseases, but progress has b...

Nature, nurture and wiring the brain

13 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The more we understand about the genetic variations that affect our brains, the more questions are raised - for example, are we a product of nature or...

Genes, depression and schizophrenia

13 Apr 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Around one in four adults in the UK experiences mental health problems in any year, and mental illness is a major problem for sufferers, their loved o...

DNA damage and repair

14 Mar 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Every second your DNA is under assault - not just from chemicals in our environment or food, but from the hurly-burly of life within our own cells. We...

Smells like gene spirit

14 Feb 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Smell is probably the oldest sense, hardwired right into our brains and closely linked to memory. Now researchers are trying to unravel the complex ge...

Now hear this

14 Jan 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Hearing loss is distressing, whether it occurs later in life or in childhood. Now researchers are starting to unpick the genetic causes behind some of...

Taking shape

14 Dec 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Across the natural world, cells organise themselves into a wonderful array of shapes and structures. But how do they do this? Plus, building bones, pl...

Come together

14 Nov 2013

Contributed by Lukas

All living cells are made up of protein molecules - but how do they organise themselves into structures? Plus bee sex, tough mice, and a happily marri...

Have a heart

13 Oct 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The heart is a vital biological pump, beating around a billion times in a lifetime. But faulty genes can cause big problems. Plus, taming the tiger ge...

Genes and genealogy

13 Sep 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Who do you think you are? And is the answer in your genes? This month we're delving into genes and genealogy. Plus, putting an end to genetic determin...

Genes, infections and immunity

13 Aug 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Why can some people stay fit as a fiddle, while other seem to catch every bug that's going? As you might expect, the answer lies in our genes. Plus, a...

Let's talk about sex

13 Jul 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Summer loving is in the air, so what better time to think about sex? But we're not going to get graphic - we're talking about the genetics of sex dete...

The future of fingerprinting

13 Jun 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Our genes are our unique calling card, and DNA analysis has been used to solve crimes and resolve paternity disputes for decades. Now new genetic tech...

Genomics - Hope or hype?

13 May 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Genetic technology is expanding at a pace that few can keep up with, with huge amounts of data being generated every week. But is this explosion of in...

Doing the twist - packing DNA

13 Apr 2013

Contributed by Lukas

Almost every single cell of your body is packed with more than two metres of DNA, containing your genes. But not only does it have to be packed up to ...

Beautiful otherness - autism genetics

14 Mar 2013

Contributed by Lukas

It's thought that around one in a hundred children in the UK is somewhere on the autistic spectrum - a complex range of disorders that can be challeng...

The wonderful world of RNA

14 Feb 2013

Contributed by Lukas

You've probably heard of DNA, but what do you know about RNA? As well as being the molecule that shuttles information from our genes into our cells, i...

Fitting into your genes - the genetics of obesity

14 Jan 2013

Contributed by Lukas

The gym is full, the pubs are empty - it can only be January, as a good proportion of the population resolves to shape up and lose weight. But are you...

Cancer genetics - When good cells go bad

14 Dec 2012

Contributed by Lukas

Cancer is literally the enemy within us -it starts when our own cells get damaged and go rogue, multiplying out of control and spreading around body. ...