logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
18m 48s

The DNA sequencing revolution

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Fast and portable genome testing is unlocking the secrets to ourselves and the environment we live in.

It's impact could lead us to fundamentally remake our approach to medicine, agriculture, the environment, conservation and our selves.

In this episode we hear from Dr Lara Urban, a geneticist studying the kakapo in New Zealand, Dr Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Professor Anna Schuh, professor of molecular diagnostics at the Department of Oncology at Oxford University and visiting professor at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania.

Presenter / Producer: David Reid Photo: Kakapo; Credit: Liu Yang

Up next
Jul 16
Taking Stock: A slower China and a durian glut
Connecting the timezones this week are Will Bain in London, David Kuo in Singapore and Emily Peck in New York to unpack the week's biggest business stories. China's economy has recorded one of its weakest quarterly growth rates on record, raising fresh questions about the country ... Show More
23m 4s
Apr 7
Headspace: from mindfulness app to military partner
Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support.The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale.If you'd ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 7
Anthropic: the $300bn AI firm at war with the White House
Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government.Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become on ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
Pushing the limits of genomics
Genomics is fundamentally changing the way we think about health and disease and driving forward personalised treatment options that would have been pure science fiction just a few years ago. Still, some parts of our genome are more ‘mysterious’ than others. In this episode, we m ... Show More
25m 24s
Feb 2022
Rapid genome sequencing in the clinic
James meets a record breaking doctor who is analysing DNA so quickly it is transforming treatment in intensive care and from one of his patients, Matthew, who discovered he needed a new heart. Then James has a disgusting confession as we discuss losing weight by getting more slee ... Show More
34m 40s
Mar 2023
Gene editing breakthrough
We look at a gene editing breakthrough, a new technique to correct genetic errors in sick patients. Roland speaks to Professor David Liu to learn about the base editing technology.Also, we look into the complex causes of last year's post-pandemic spike in child hepatitis. Profess ... Show More
33m 14s
Oct 2022
What is genomics and how can healthcare workers use it?
<p>Genomics is the future of healthcare which we’re told will revolutionise how patients are treated – but what is it, exactly? And how can healthcare professionals <u>use</u> it day to day?</p> <p>Dr Matt Hall, a Consultant Nephrologist at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Tru ... Show More
39s
Oct 2021
#478: [Right Now at AWS] Episode 11 - Why AWS for Genomics?
We’re living in an era of genomics revolution. The remarkable acceleration of sequencing time and a 99.9% decrease in costs are enabling new genomics use cases in healthcare, agriculture, and beyond. But advanced sequencing capabilities are pushing legacy technology to its brink. ... Show More
15m 27s
May 2025
EP 185: From newborn screening to lifelong data in an evolving genomics landscape with Madhuri Hegde of Revvity
This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Madhuri Hegde, SVP and Chief Scientific Officer of Revvity. They discuss Revvity’s advances in ultra-rapid clinical-grade sequencing, opportunities, challenges, and global inequities in newborn screening, and the dilemma of ... Show More
40m 44s
Jul 2021
Engineering an Epigenome Editor
<p>On today’s episode we are discussing the results and implications of a recent study that describes the creation of a new set of tools to turn off or on any region in the genome with high specificity. Host Lauren Richardson and a16z general partner Vijay Pande are joined by the ... Show More
31m 38s