Genetic Modification
Is it time to reconsider the rules on GMOs?
The Productivity Commission says New Zealand needs to take another look at its strict regulations on genetically modified organisms – or we could risk missing out on important innovations that improve… Audio
Elise Bohan: looking to the future of our species
What is the future of our species? As technology becomes more and more a part of our daily lives, we may become something different to human down the line. Elise Bohan has written the book on it. Audio
Prof Ethan Bier: using mutated mosquitoes to control disease
Genetically engineered mosquitoes could be the key to winning the war against malaria, a disease that affects more than 200 million people every year and kills more than 400,000 - many of whom are… Audio
Has the time come for Genetic Modification?
Should New Zealand be looking again at the use of genetic modification for agriculture? Audio
Do Kiwis still care about GE free?
The road to New Zealand becoming GE Free was hard fought. In 2003, thousands marched to show their opposition to Genetically Engineered foods and animals. New Zealand now has some of the strictest… Audio
CRISPR crops: the rise of gene edited foods
With the Royal Society soon to release a discussion paper on the use of gene editing in agriculture, we're replaying Simon Morton's 2017 story on how this genetic technique's already being used to… Audio
Issie Robertson - Teen takes on bioethics
Dunedin teenager Issie, or Isabelle, Robertson has had a paper arguing against genetic modification to prolong human life, published in the prestigious international Journal of Medical Ethics. The… Audio
We need to talk about gene drives and gene editing
Genetic tools will help New Zealand meets its aim of being Predator Free by 2050 - but we need to understand what they are and have a public conversation about their use. Audio
The Museum of Post-Natural History
Kathryn Ryan talks to Richard Pell, the curator of the Centre for Post-Natural History, which was built to exhibit how humans have modified life, whether that be by splicing of genes, selective… Audio
Genetic modification - a science communication podcast
University of Otago science communication student Amy Smith discusses genetic modification with two microbiologists. Audio
Lab mice: Drug researchers lost in the maze
Lab mice are leading scientists on a wild goose chase, with only one in nine drug trials that succeed in animals making it to the market. Audio
Science communication - the art of listening
Geneticist Jean Fleming has won the NZAS Science Communicator Award, and she says that good science communication is about listening as well as talking. Audio
The genetic engineering ‘renaissance’
Kathryn Ryan talks to Raymond McCauley who was part of the team that developed Next Generation DNA sequencing - a technologically which has exponential decreased the cost of sequencing genes. Audio
GE court decision bad for science says biotech industry
Kathryn Ryan speaks to Will Barker, the chief executive of NZBIO - the lobby group representing New Zealand's biotech industry. It says the country is at risk of becoming a bioscience backwater after… Audio
What does science say about the risks of GM food?
Do genetically modified crops make people sick? Could they damage the environment? Are they any better for the bottom line of farmers than conventional strains? Those are some of the key questions… Audio
Gene editing crops
Robin McKie of The Observer has been looking at gene edited crops. These may soon be blocked by EU regulators who are deciding if gene edited plants qualify as genetically modified organisms. Audio
Genetic editing
Top genetic scientists from all around the world met in New York last week and put together a list of guidelines to help navigate the ethical minefield of human genetic modifications. The summit was… Audio
Biotech industry calls for eased restrictions on GMOs
NZBIO says the The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act hasn't kept pace with rapid developments in GM technology. It says the current legislation fails to take into account relative risk and… Audio
'Orchard in a box' - using GM to breed better apples
A greenhouse that is also a strict containment facility allows scientists to experimentally add apple genes to apple trees to speed up the breeding of new varieties Audio
Guest
International potato industry expert Professor Gary Secor of the Plant Pathology Department at North Dakota State University is a keynote speaker at the The Potatoes NZ Inc. annual conference in… Audio