Can genetics be used help conserve endangered species?
By Tiffany A. Kosch Conserving wildlife with breeding programs doesn’t help threatened species to adapt, but synthetic biology may be able to bring protection by adapting genetics. What if we could help threatened wildlife better adapt to the intractable threats many...
Human genome editing – are we ready? ▶
Are we ready for human genome editing? In this talk, Senior Lecturer Hilary Sheppard illustrates how CRISPR can be used to fix disease-causing broken genes in adult cells. This talk was part of the 2021 home edition of the Raising the Bar series, where academics talk...
Why are more contagious COVID variants emerging?
By David Welch, Jemma Geoghegan, Joep de Ligt & Nigel French Why are more contagious variants emerging now, more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic? New variants of SARS-CoV-2 have now evaded New Zealand’s border protections twice to spread into the community....
Why does New Zealand need to focus on genome sequencing to trace the source of its new COVID-19 outbreak?
By David Welch Genetic surveillance — a technology that uses the genetic fingerprint of a virus to track its spread — is part of the public health response to New Zealand’s new COVID-19 community outbreak and could help pinpoint its source. There are now 17 cases of...
How do your genes affect your mental health? ▶
How do your genes affect your mental health? In this lecture hosted by the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland researchers discuss how knowing what your genes do can guide the development of future personalised medicine for the prevention and treatment of mental...
Q+A: How is trauma passed on through generations?
Is the transmission of trauma multi-generational? Do children of survivors of mass atrocities have a higher risk of developing psychological disorders? To understand the process of multi-generational legacies of trauma, Maria Armoudian speaks with Andrei Novac and...
Debate: Should we edit the genomes of human embryos?
The introduction of genome editing signals a dramatic departure from the usual pathway through reproductive care. However, the use of genetic technologies in reproduction is frequently criticised for harbouring eugenic undertones. Helen O’Neill, Lecturer in...
Q+A: What are the hidden costs of civilisation?
What are the hidden costs of civilisation? Could civilisation be behind disease, mental illness, climate change, and religious fundamentalism? Spencer Wells thinks it might just be. Maria Armoudian speaks to Wells about his book Pandora’s Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of...
Is inheritance about more than just genes?
By Nicola Shepheard Epigenetics has been hailed as the missing link between genes and environment. Nicola Shepheard explores this phenomenon in greater detail and seeks out whether inheritance is about more than just genes. The growing knowledge of how experiences get...Subscribe by Email
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