Biology Interviews

Tracing the effects of oil in the open ocean

Oil spills not only cause problems for the shores they wash up on but also impact open ocean ecosystems. Amy Hirons invites us into the planktonic world and tells us about her studies tracing the fingerprint of oil throughout the marine food web.Amy Hirons, NOVA Southeastern University

Ready, Steady, Stop!

We talk to James Nieh about the warning signals used by bees to stop their colonies from entering harmful areas...James Nieh, University of California at San Diego.

The Hive Mind - How Ants Know Their Place

It’s an incredibly complicated world inside an ant colony, with different types of ant doing lots of different jobs. But how does an ant know what role to take? Dr Elva Robinson explains more...Dr Elva Robinson, Univeristy of York

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2010

Meera explores the RHS Chelsea Flower show to discover how the help our rainforests and entice wildlife into her garden...John Burton, World Land Trust; David Tight, Hampshire Carnicorous Plants; Paul Harvey-Brooks, Bradstone Biodiversity Garden

Shape matters for Helicobacter infection

Researchers in Seattle have found that the spiral shape of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori is key to its ability to infect the stomach lining. Dr Nina Salama from the group, that published in the journal Cell, explains that the key genes that determine the shape could be targets for new drug therapies.Dr Nina Salama, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Reserach Centre, Seattle

HPV and Cervical Cancer

Human Papillomavirus or HPV is the main cause of the majority of cases of cervical cancer. Professor Margaret Stanley from the Department of Pathology at Cambridge University explains more about what we know about the virus and the newly-introduced HPV vaccine.Professor Margaret Stanley, Dept. of Pathology, Cambridge University

Studying Devil Facial Tumour Disease

An iconic animal, the Tasmanian Devil is under threat from a type of cancer that can be transmitted between individuals. Elizabeth Murchison from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute has been studying the genetics of the cancer.Elizabeth Murchison, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

BioBlitz in Bristol - engaging the public with nature

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, and as part of that, BioBlitz events will be going on across the country. Their aim is to get the public to come and help catalogue all the biodiversity in that area. Ed Drewitt from the Bristol Natural History Museum tells us more about the Bristol event.Ed Drewitt, Bristol Natural History Museum

The creation of 'Synthia' - Synthetic life

This week the J Craig Venter Institute announced the creation to huge fanfare of a brand new synthetic microorganism dubbed, “Synthia.” This has prompted lots of excitement but also lots of controversy. Some people have argued that Synthia isn’t entirely synthetic. So to tell us more here’s Craig Venter and Victoria Gill...Victoria Gill, BBC Science Correspondent; Dr Craig Venter, J Craig Venter Institute

Improving Enzymes

One of the main aims that scientists have for synthetic biology is to be able to take what nature has already made and make it even better for doing certain jobs, and Dr. Ross Anderson at Bristol University is trying to do just that...Dr Ross Anderson, University of Bristol

iGEM - the international Genetically Engineered Machine Competition

Meera Senthilingam catches up with members of a team from Cambridge University that took part in the iGEM 2009 project, fusing biological and engineering knowledge to solve real-life problems...James Brown, Alan Walbridge, Vivian Mullen

What is Synthetic Biology?

What do we mean when we talk about Synthetic Biology? What does it involve? Dr Jim Haseloff from Cambridge University explains...Dr Jim Haseloff, Cambridge University

Ten genes help Tibetans thrive over 10,000 feet

Researchers have discovered why Tibetans who have a taste for the high life are much better able to tolerate low oxygen conditions that you find at higher altitude and that’s compared with the lowland living counterparts. But it turns out that they carry at least ten unique genes that enable them to do it.Tatum Simonson, University of Utah

Deciphering the Second Genetic Code

Researchers in Toronto and in Cambridge have made a major breakthrough in understanding how DNA works. More specifically, how the same gene can produce different gene products in different types of cells...Dr Yoseph Barash, University of Toronto

Personalising Medicine through your Genome

The Lancet has published a study into the benefits of looking at your genome to help personalise your medicine. Dr. Euan Ashley from Stanford University School of Medicine joined us to explain more...Dr Euan Ashley, Stanford University

DNA Profiling an Ancient Person

As well as following the way populations have changed and migrated, we can use modern genetic techniques to really get to know an individual body as long as it’s preserved well enough. Professor Eske Willerslev and his team were able to sequence the genome of a 4000 year old man, Inuk, from just some hairs found in Greenland...Professor Eske Willerslev, University of Copenhagen

Understanding the Past with Ancient Pathogens

Helen Donoghue explains how analysing bacteria from ancient fossils can help us learn more about the evolution of disease and human migration...Dr Helen Donoghue, University College London

The Neanderthal in your Genes

A new genetic analysis of nearly 2,000 people from all over the globe suggests that our ancestors interbred with Neanderthals over at least two different periods. Professor Jeffrey Long, from the University of New Mexico, explains more...Professor Jeffrey Long, University of New Mexico

New Peptide to Fight Tumours

Researchers in California have shown how a new drug, called iRGD, can help to fight tumours by boosting levels of chemotherapy agents just in the cancer...Professor Erkki Ruoslahti, University of California, Santa Barbara

How the Heart got its Arteries

Researchers have overturned a 100-year-old misunderstanding about how the arteries that supply the heart with blood first develop, and this could be used to re-grow the damages that give rise to a heart attack...Dr Paul Riley, University College London