Genetics
Dr Tim Spector on the hidden microbial world inside us
Genetic Epidemiologist Tim Spector, from Kings College in London has spent much of his career studying the trillions of microbes that live on us and inside us. They outnumber our own cells, 10 to 1… Audio
Genetics and Neurological Disorders
Professor James Gusella and Professor Marcy MacDonald are genetic scientists from Harvard University who are working to find therapies to treat neurodevelopmental disorders, especially Autism Spectrum… Audio
Consumer genetics: the legal implications
From patenting genes to privacy, how will the emerging field of consumer genetics challenge our existing laws? Colin Gavaghan is the New Zealand Law Foundation Director in Law & Emerging Technologies… Audio
Adam Rutherford: Inside Science
Presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Inside Science, Adam Rutherford has explored possible answers to our biggest scientific questions. With a background in genetics and evolutionary biology, he has created… Audio
Precision medicine - tailoring treatment to individuals
The government has plans for all New Zealanders to move to electronic health records, but the head of the New Zealand tech company Orion, which is investing heavily in precision medicine, says… Audio
Kakapo 125 Project - Sandy Baines
The Kakapo 125 project was launched last night. It aims to sequence the genomes of every kakapo in the world. And it's the first time it's been done for an entire species. The project is being… Audio
Truffle-like fungi: what their genes can tell us
Truffle-like fungi are related to mushrooms but look like truffles, and geneticists around the world are studying their genomes to understand how they have all co-evolved. Audio
Muscles and mutations
David Epstein's amazing story about genetic mutations started with an email with the subject line "Olympic medallist and muscular dystrophy patient with the same mutation". Audio
Heart attack warning
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death worldwide. Dr Chris Smith of The Naked Scientists has news from the UK where scientists think they've found some important early warning signs of a heart… Audio
Genome sequencing every living kakapo
In an ambitious world-first, scientists are using crowd-funding to pay for genome sequences for all 125 living kakapo - the first time an entire population will be sequenced. Audio
UK gives go-ahead for DNA editing of human embryos
The UK approves the use of new gene editing techniques on human embryos for research purposes.
Understanding Alzheimer's
Professor John Hardy's work was recognised last month with a US$3 million award from some of the biggest names in the world of technology. He's studying the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer's… Audio
Tony Merriman: sugar, gout and genes
Professor in the Biochemistry Department, School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, and an associate investigator at the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Moelcular Biodiversity. His research takes a… Audio
Gene editing future
An international scientific conference in Washington DC this week has been considering the ethical and scientific issues surrounding human gene editing technology. Sara Reardon of Nature has been… Audio
Where did the kuri come from?
Old bones from an ancient Maori oven are helping unravel the history of the Polynesian dog, or kuri, which were brought to Aotearoa by the first Maori settlers. University of Otago PhD student Karen… Audio
Genetic flu risk
Have you noticed that some of us suffer way more than others when infected with the flu bug? No, this is not about gender but genes! There's a genetic reason why some of us get sicker than others when… Audio
Genetic research calls for rethink on Pacifika medicine
A New Zealand geneticist is calling for a radical shake up on how medical treatments are matched to Pacifika pepole after carrying out an extensive study of their DNA. Audio
Cracking the Genetic Code
Matthew Cobb is the author of Life's Greatest Secret: The Race to Crack the Genetic Code. Audio, Gallery
Giles Yeo: obesity and genetics
Principal Research Associate and Director of Genomics/Transcriptomics at the University of Cambridge Institute of Metabolic Science, where he studies food intake and obesity. He visited New Zealand to… Audio
Jennifer Palmer: synthetic biology
Year 12 student at Orewa College, whose presentation, Synthetic Biology - Engineering the Future, won her the Secondary category and Premier Award at the 2015 Sir Paul Callaghan EUREKA! Awards. Audio