Opinionated Science

In this episode, the TN team round up some of the best and weirdest science from the last month. Hear how elephants and naked mole rats fight cancer, how immunotherapy is getting a microbial boost from poop transplants and why researchers think our sleep patterns might be affected by the phases of the moon. 

Read more from this podcast: 

The Marsupial Brain Benefits From a Stretchy Shape

Investigating How Elephants Evolved To Become Resistant to Cancer

Moon Phase Linked to Altered Sleep Duration and Onset

Fecal Transplant Boosts Cancer Immunotherapy

What Can the Naked Mole-rat Teach Us About Cancer?

In this episode, we explore data integrity – a pillar of good science. We hear from our expert speakers how modern labs can improve their data and, of course, what happens when mistakes or fraud compromises data integrity.

In this episode, the team discuss the omnipresent technology of next-generation sequencing (NGS), which has seen the cost of sequencing a human genome go from $100 million to under $1000 in just two decades. We hear from the European Bioinformatics Institute’s Dr Alex Almeida, who uses NGS techniques to examine the human microbiome. We also investigate the future of NGS and ask what will happen when we have sequenced absolutely everything?

2020 has been a memorable year in science for many reasons, most of them bad. As we finally begin to see some chinks of light at the end of this incredibly long year, the Opinionated Science team look back at some of the biggest stories of the year that were nothing to do with COVID-19, including brain implants, inherited trauma and millions of tons of microplastics. 

Read more from this podcast: 

Opinionated Science takes a deep dive into Neuralink

All-Female Crew Open Eyes to Plastic Pollution Crisis on Round the World Sailing Expedition

Infographic: Microplastic Detection

What's the Physiological Relevance? A Profile of Oded Rechavi

The Epigenetic Memory of Stress Flows Through Generations in Coral

Trauma Impacts the Metabolism in Ways That Can Be Inherited

This episode is a COVID-19 podcast with a first-hand focus. Podcast host Ruairi Mackenzie discusses his experience with symptomatic COVID-19. And we also look at the data around COVID-19 risk and age and discuss the emerging problems posed by long COVID.

Read more from this podcast: 

CDC Data on COVID-19 Risk by Age

The Lasting Misery of Coronavirus Long-Haulers

Long Covid: Reviewing the Science and Assessing the Risk

In this episode, the team discuss the metabolome; the billions of tiny molecules that our cells produce every second. Scientific understanding of the metabolome has leapt forward, opening the door to a better understanding of how to treat disease, how to live a healthier lifestyle and even how trauma can be passed down via our metabolites.

Today's episode is brought to you by SCIEX. 

Read more from this podcast:

Wellness and Illness From a Precision Quantification Perspective

Disease Biomarker Discovery Infographic

What's Your (Metabo)Type? 

Trauma Impacts the Metabolism in Ways That Can Be Inherited

On this episode, the team will discuss how the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects our brain.

Over time, it‘s become clear that in addition to affecting our respiratory system, SARS-CoV-2 infection can also have implications for our brain and nerves. This podcast will untangle the disparate effects involved, covering everything from a subdued sense of smell to serious brain inflammation and damage. Finally, we’ll discuss evidence that a “third wave“ of COVID-19 could target the brain in years to come. 

Read more from this podcast: 

What Does COVID-19 Do to the Nervous System?

What Are the Psychiatric Side Effects of Coronavirus Infection?

Neurological Consequences of COVID-19: The “Silent Wave”

Sniffin' Sticks for Testing Loss of Smell in COVID-19

In this episode, the team explore cancer immunotherapy, a revolutionary set of treatments that has fundamentally changed cancer care. In exploring how our immune system can be turned against cancer, we follow a trail from ancient China to the cutting edge of medical research and look to a personalized future for immunotherapy. Opinionated Science is Technology Networks’ homemade podcast, where our team of scientists-turned-journalists cut out the chewy jargon and serve up slices of the most fascinating stories from the world of science.  Read more from this podcast:  Treating Cancer – 5 Types of Immunotherapy Key Developments in Cancer Immunotherapy Over the Last Decade Future Cancer Immunotherapy Treatments Could Be Administered by a Pill Cancer and the Immune System New Vaccine Has the Potential To Treat Several Different Cancers

In this episode, the team discuss efforts to let your brain communicate beyond the limits of your head. Whilst much of this research is still in early stages, scientists have shown how individuals can share thoughts through brain wave-based games of Tetris, and tech entrepreneurs have looked to a future where brains can be directly joined with computers. We look into these technologies’ potential to help paralysis patients and the ethical implications of a network of interconnected brains.

Read more from this podcast: 

Brain-Computer Interface Lets Three People Play Video Games Using Their Minds

Neuralink Progress Update, Summer 2020

Rajesh Rao at TED: Brain Co-Processors-When AI Meets the Brain 

In this episode, the team discuss the growing movement for sustainable science. Research has a yeti-sized ecological footprint, and here we follow the tracks from ozone-destroying CFCs and energy-guzzling freezers through to a new future for science that promises to make labs eco-friendly at last. Read more from this podcast: Creating an Environmentally Sustainable Lab Infographic Reducing Plastic in the Lab Allison Paradise Interviewed at SfN 2018 Eco-nutrition Label for Labware Could Make Science a Greener Place To Be