Human genome goes global
The Pangenome project captures human diversity with 47 new genomes. Also, the Royal Society digitises its historical collections, and we listen to our planet from 30km up.
In 2003, an incredible scientific milestone was achieved as the first human genome completed sequencing. For 20 years, this genome has been used as a reference by researchers for comparison to all other DNA sequences. Now, the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium is addressing the lack of genetic diversity starting with 47 new reference genomes. Members of the consortium, Dr Karen Miga, assistant professor, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute and Dr Benedict Paten, associate professor, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, join Roland to discuss the first stages of the project.
For the first time the public will have access to thousands of documents from the Royal Society’s historical collections following their digitisation. Science correspondent Vic Gill visits the vaults to see some of these pieces of history first hand.
We are also taking a trip 30km above the Earth, to the stratosphere, where Daniel Bowman, principal scientist from Sandia National Laboratories, is using solar powered balloons to listen to the mysterious sounds of our planet.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Ella Hubber
(Image Illustration of the globe. Credit: Darryl Leja, NHGRI)
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Broadcasts
- Thu 11 May 2023 19:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Fri 12 May 2023 04:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only
- Fri 12 May 2023 08:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Fri 12 May 2023 12:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Fri 12 May 2023 19:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Sat 13 May 2023 16:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service News Internet
- Sun 14 May 2023 03:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa only
Podcast
-
Science In Action
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ brings you all the week's science news.