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Programme 1: Iceland |
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A two part series looking at the extraordinary biology of isolated communities, and how by studying them we can learn more about the biggest one of all - Planet Earth.
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In the first of the series, Andrew Luck-Baker visits Iceland, to discover what scientists can learn by studying some of the most isolated communities on the planet. It is thought by some scientists that isolated communities have a far less varied gene pool making the search for the genes associated with common disease easier to hunt for.
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In the last few years, Iceland has been put on the biotech map, with the founding of Decode Genetics, a company started by entrepreneurial businessman, Kari Steffanson. He believes that the unique genetic qualities of the Icelandic people, coupled with the meticulous medical and geneological records that the country has kept will lead to the discovery of genes associated with many common diseases such as stroke, diabetes, schizophrenia and heart disease. Andrew finds out just what these remote and historically isolated people have to offer the scientific community.
 Listen again to Programme 1
Programme 2: Artificial Isolation >>>
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