Naked Genetics

Matchmaking at the zoo

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 preview of this year's Genetics Society JBS Haldane lecture, and a gene of the month that likes a tipple.

13 Nov 2017 35 min

Evolution's luxury item

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 can our genes tell us about our evolution? Plus, school students take on the whipworm genome, the surprising genetic diversity…

13 Oct 2017 33 min

Exposing the contents of your genes

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 antibiotics, take a look at the ethics of human gene editing, and our gene of the month is getting ahead…

13 Sep 2017 31 min

Store, write, edit

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 ever before - we take a look at storing, writing and editing in DNA. Plus, our gene of the month is all…

14 Aug 2017 34 min

Genes and dementia

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-needed treatments. Plus, a big release of big data from the UK Biobank, and our gene of the month is an expert swordsman.

13 Jul 2017 29 min

Bees, trees and 3-D genes

This month we're literally getting inside our genes, as we explore chromosomes through a 3-dimensional virtual reality art, music and science project. Plus, researchers are turning to bees, trees and more in search of new genetic systems, and our gene of the month has been around for a while.

14 Jun 2017 34 min

Tackling tumours, curing cancer

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 guardian of your genome, rather than the galaxy.

14 May 2017 44 min

Battle of the sexes

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 opossums can teach us about sex, reporting back from a very special scientific meeting, and a superhero-styled gene of the…

13 Apr 2017 31 min

Putting genomics to work

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 of it all? Who gets their hands on it? And how do we use it to benefit patients? We meet the scientists developing new…

15 Mar 2017 29 min

Science and the single cell

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 and changing. So how do scientists measure this? Plus, you can now take part in an international survey about genetics knowledge, a GIANT study throws up…

13 Feb 2017 30 min

Genes, laws and Brexit

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 gene editing techniques like CRISPR count as GM? And what happens to these regulations when the UK leaves the EU? Plus, our gene of…

13 Jan 2017 29 min

All human life is here

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 clock back to the very start of human life, and discover how new research is pushing back the frontiers of human embryology. Plus…

13 Dec 2016 29 min

Searching for switches

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 contains protein-coding genes, so what does all the rest do?

14 Nov 2016 30 min

Testing, testing

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 can we really test for them? And just because we can, does that mean we should? Plus, an extremely popular - and extremely…

13 Oct 2016 30 min

Hello Dolly

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 adult cell. Her birth changed the scientific world, and led to the development of other transformative technologies. Plus, our gene of the month is keeping a…

13 Sep 2016 41 min

40 years of selfishness

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 nurture to nature, and a gigantic gene of the month.

13 Aug 2016 30 min

Signal to noise

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 strides in big genes, and our gene of the month is going round and round in circles.

13 Jul 2016 30 min

Genes for all

Genes, genomes and genetic technology are playing increasingly important parts in our lives, industries, food and healthcare, and at a point in the not-too-distant future we're probably going to have to grapple with at least some of the contents of our DNA. But is the public really prepared to look…

13 Jun 2016 30 min

Check your compatibility

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 inherit. There are thousands of different variations in these genes, but why do we have such diversity and does it matter? Plus, we dig into…

13 May 2016 29 min

What's in your genes?

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 post and get a personalised readout direct to their inbox. But what do these tests actually reveal? Plus, how advertising execs can help…

13 Apr 2016 30 min