Molecular Biology podcasts

Cell researcher and author Katharina Vestre joins Gaute Einevoll for a Norwegian-language conversation about the cells that build the human body. They explore how diverse cells, from muscle fibres to red blood cells, cooperate while sharing a common organisation of membranes and organelles. The discussion considers how that internal machinery allows cells to survive, perform specialised functions and divide, drawing on Vestre’s book about cellular life.

Hosted by Gaute Einevoll

Francesca and Ilaria discuss taste-receptor research, mitochondrial biology and a reported ALS case study involving an antisense oligonucleotide treatment. Giuliana Galati interviews University of Padua physicist Francesco Recchia about nuclear phenomenology. The episode links these discussions to the underlying research papers and distinguishes a clinical case report from established treatment evidence.

Hosted by Francesca Cecilia Lauta, Ilaria Zanardi

Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove and Brianne Barker discuss a newly identified mechanism for RNA-guided DNA recognition and genetic control that may predate CRISPR pathways. They also examine research proposing that features of Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology could have originated as a host response to infection in the brain, including evidence concerning phosphorylated tau and herpesvirus activity. The episode connects ancient molecular recognition mechanisms with questions about antiviral defence.

Hosted by Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove

Paul Bieniasz joins Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove and Kathy Spindler to discuss his laboratory’s research on coronavirus genetic variation. The conversation examines how the NSP15 nuclease cuts viral RNA into short pieces that can be reinserted elsewhere, producing insertion mutations and new furin-cleavage sites at the spike S1/S2 boundary. The episode links the underlying preprint and includes listener correspondence and weekly selections.

Hosted by Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove

An audio feature examining research on DNA damage, repair and ageing. The episode explores evidence that inadequate repair contributes to age-related biological changes, and scientific efforts to test whether improving repair can extend healthy life. Nature published this episode on 2 September 2026.

Nature staff discuss evidence from whales and mole rats suggesting that DNA repair may contribute to longevity, and how COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses.

Jennifer Doudna discusses how CRISPR changed gene editing and what might come next. The conversation examines emerging applications, technical limitations and the ethical choices involved in altering genetic material, including how scientific progress can be paired with responsible use.

Hosted by Janna Levin

Steven Strogatz explores the origins of life with Jack Szostak and Betül Kaçar. Szostak considers how early-Earth chemistry, including cyanide-bearing environments, could give rise to precursors of RNA and DNA, and discusses competing settings for life’s beginnings. Kaçar explains how reconstructing ancient genes helps researchers investigate the evolution of essential biological processes. Together, the conversations examine what experiments can reveal about the earliest steps toward life and whether replaying evolutionary history would produce different outcomes.

Hosted by Steven Strogatz