Naked Genetics

How To Survive Poison

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 organisms developing tolerance to severe toxins, what genetic insight this gives us about adaptation and natural selection more broadly, and what some of the tradeoffs might…

14 Sep 2020 29 min

The Inner Lives of Birds

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: hummingbirds powering their lightning-fast flight; a gene that controls migration; why males have different colours to females; how light pollution makes sparrows sicker; and the bird…

18 Aug 2020 28 min

Female Mosaicism: The Stronger Sex?

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, and even more often survive the coronavirus. It's all thanks to having two X chromosomes. Females compensate by switching one of them off,…

14 Jul 2020 27 min

Fermented foods: the real deal?

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 that live inside cancer cells, to gene sequencing the dead sea scrolls... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked…

14 Jun 2020 29 min

ACE2: The Coronavirus Gateway

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 is about one in seven people, making these are some of the most common prescription drugs out there; and recently…

13 May 2020 34 min

The Coronavirus Mutation Situation

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 the animal it comes from; to the exact ways it's spreading around the world; and even how a hidden mutation is threatening to lead…

15 Apr 2020 25 min

Gene Genealogy & The Lost Family

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 answers and new questions: questions that tens of thousands of people now have to figure out how to ask. In this…

13 Mar 2020 24 min

FOXG1 Syndrome: Fighting the Odds

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-discovered - that only about six hundred people in the world have been diagnosed. Kids with FOXG1 have severe developmental delays; in Vivek's…

20 Feb 2020 25 min

The Fly Infest-agation

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. She wants us to figure out what they are, and what caused the infestation. Can DNA crack the case? Plus, the return of Gins &…

14 Jan 2020 28 min

African genetics and ethics

There are very few African studies in genetics. Most of the existing data are based on Europeans. This is why a number of institutions have collaborated to survey thousands of people's genomes in rural Uganda. In this episode we cover the results of Africa's biggest ever genetics study; and the…

14 Dec 2019 28 min

What's in the water?

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 the science to the test by making a geneticist guess our mystery fish. Plus, a story about whales and dolphins: what…

14 Nov 2019 26 min

Quadrillions: Sequencing the UK Biobank

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…

14 Oct 2019 29 min

The Dog Show

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…

14 Sep 2019 30 min

Mendel's Trick

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 an 19th-Century monk, working in his garden - but who was he…

13 Aug 2019 30 min

Decoding a Mammoth with George Church

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…

23 Mar 2019 30 min

The future of forensic genetics

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?…

14 Apr 2018 32 min

A Festival of Genomics

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…

14 Mar 2018 39 min

Crime scene genes

It's CSI Naked Genetics, as we find out how genetic technology is used to solve crimes.

13 Feb 2018 31 min

Back to the womb

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.

13 Jan 2018 34 min

The future of genomic medicine

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.

14 Dec 2017 32 min