Fitting into your genes – the genetics of obesity |
The gym is full, the pubs are empty – it can only be January, as a good proportion of the population resolves to shape up and lose weight. But are your efforts going to help you fit into your jeans (with a J), or are you just fighting against your genes (with a G)? Plus, we discuss how genes might jump between cows and snakes, and weve got gout, goats, giant pandas and a glass bottom boat.This is the Naked Genetics podcast for January 2013 with me, Dr Kat Arney, brought to you in association with The Genetics Society, online at genetics.org.uk.
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In this edition of Naked Genetics |
Full Transcript |
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12:42 – Genes jump from snakes to cows
One study that’s very interesting is looking at how a quarter of the cow genome actually came from snakes or is this really true? Thats the question.
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16:03 – Panda Genome
Now for some other fascinating animals pandas. I saw in the latest issue of Nature Genetics from Shancen Zhao that they have sequenced the panda genome. What did they find in it?
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17:39 – Cancer-killing cells created
Researchers in Japan have created killer immune cells that can be grown in the lab and recognise melanoma skin cancer.
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18:56 – Gout risk genes found
Writing in the journal Nature Genetics, an international team of researchers have found 18 new genetic variations that increase the levels of uric acid in the blood – the main cause of gout.
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19:44 – Goat genome mapped
A Chinese team have used the latest sequencing techniques to complete the first goat genome, mapping the entire genetic code of a female Yunnan black goat – a common domestic species – publishing their work in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
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20:50 – Meet the Rinkidinks
Now its time to meet the Rinkidinks. These creatures are the creation of Dr Tiffany Taylor, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Reading, who has written a childrens book called Little Changes, aimed at helping teachers to explain the concepts of evolution to childre…
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Genetics of obesity and diabetes
Just looking at the families around us, its obvious that at least some aspect of our BMI – thats body mass index, a handy if imperfect measure of weight – is encoded in our genes. This is borne out by genetic research, as well as the fairly obvious finding that a good chunk of…
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