Nice Genes!

How Mice and CRISPR are Reversing BlindnessOne small step for science, one furry leap for mousekind. Scientists have found a way to reverse a common mutation that causes blindness in both people and mice using gene editing technology.References:In Mouse Study, Scientists Use Gene Editing to Reverse a Major Cause of Blindness | US NewsCredits:Children's Songs by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians | Internet ArchiveThree Blind Mice - Beidernecke, Bix | Internet Archive

How Deleted DNA Reveals the Origins of HumanityIn 2007, researchers pitted humans against chimpanzees in a memory test competition. Who was the victor of this mental jungle gym? Phoebe Melvin and Dr. Kaylee Byers delve into Yale University research that reveals what DNA humans share with our primate relatives but, more intriguingly, what sets us apart.References:Mankind’s Missing Puzzle Pieces: The “Deleted” Genes That Made Us Human | Yale UniversityChimps Beat Humans on Memory Tasks | ABC NewsCredits:ABC News, Chimps vs Humans | ABC News & laffsteve

How an Oddball Bunny Saved Millions of LivesCan a make-believe tale have real-life consequences? Perhaps a 1930s legend from a snowy town in Wyoming illustrates signals just how the strange things found in nature can become life-saving treatments.References:Are jackalopes real? | Live ScienceNew Research Shows the HPV Cancer Vaccine Saves Lives | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterCredits:The Legend Of Bigfoot | Internet Archive (CC)Somewhere In Wyoming 1930 Joe Green Orchestra | Internet Archive (CC)

Meet the Magic of Mushrooms on Colour BlindnessRoughly 300 million people have a colour vision deficiency. But with a few mushrooms and some magic, those who experience colourblindness might be able to see a whole range of colors for the first time.References:Magic Mushrooms seem to have a strange effect on color blindness | Science AlertIshihara test: Color Blind Test | ColormaxWhat is LSD | Science AlertCase report: Prolonged amelioration of mild red-green color vision deficiency following psilocybin mushroom use | Drug Science, Policy and LawImproved colour blindness symptoms associated with recreational psychedelic use: Results from the Global Drug Survey 2017 | Drug Science, Policy and Law

Indigenous Environmental StewardshipDescription:The Indigenous peoples of what’s now known as Western Canada had a relationship of reciprocity with the land. But when explorers from Europe arrived eager to tame the land and absorb its vast natural resources these two world views came to a head. And caught in between an iconic species of the Pacific Northwest—the Gary Oak—has become threatened. So how can we reconcile the harmful assumptions of the past that overlooked other ways of managing ecosystems?Dr. Kaylee Byers and Co-Host Dr. Lyana Patrick, look to the forests, rivers, and oceans of Turtle Island to uncover the various food systems and traditional stewardship practices that existed before colonization. Ethnobotonist, John Bradley Williams shares the traditional use of Garry Oaks and how they became systematically destroyed. Dr. Tabitha Robin from the University of British Columbia shares her experience working with and studying Indigenous Food Sovereignty. Lastly, Canadian Anthropologist and National Geographic explorer Dr. Wade Davis, through insights from his career visiting communities around the world shares how we can dismantle the prevailing biases that continue to threaten the health of our planet.—Highlights:(3:53 - 8:55) An icon on the brink, J.B. Williams shares the origins and challenges of Garry Oak meadows(11:24 - 14:50) Moving forward, Dr. Tabitha Robin shares the overlooked history of Indigenous food sovereignty(18:45 - 23:20) How an academic divide threatens our planet, anthropology lessons from National Geographic's Dr. Wade Davis—Learn-A-Long: https://bit.ly/3GPwxnf—Resources:Indians and Europeans on the Northwest Coast: Historical Context | Center for the Study of Pacific NorthwestThe Strait of Juan de Fuca is mentioned for the first time in April 1596 | History LinkPurchas His Pilgrimes: Contayning a History of the World in Sea Voyages and Lande Travells by Englishmen and others | Center for the Study of Pacific NorthwestThe Garry Oak Learning Meadow | Parks CanadaHarvesting strategies as evidence for 4000 years of camas (Camassia quamash) management in the North American Columbia Plateau | The Royal SocietyConservation status of native tree species in British Columbia | Global Ecology and ConservationSeeing the garden through the trees: The Indigenous forest gardens of coastal B.C. | Canadian GeographicBison Bellows: Indigenous Hunting Practices | National Parks ServiceWeir Fishing | Heritage Lower Saint LawrenceCombining Genomic Insights and Traditional Indigenous Knowledge for the Conservation of Pacific Salmon | Genome British ColumbiaPuyallup Tribe hosts c’abid (camas) harvest at PLU | Pacific Luthern UniversitySaving the planet means listening to Indigenous peoples: Wade Davis | CBCSpatial and temporal assessments of genetic structure in an endangered Garry oak ecosystem on Vancouver Island | Canadian Science Publishing—Credit:Interview with Tibet's 14th Dalai Lama by Robert AF Thurman, Harvard 1981 | Tibet House US Menla Online

Challenging our assumptions about painWhen Jackie Gonzalez was just young, doctors assumed that she was pining for attention when she restlessly tried to rub her feet and describing that she was in constant pain. It wasn’t until she was a teenager that doctors and scientists diagnosed her with Erythromelalgia, also known as ‘Man on Fire Syndrome’. It's a rare condition, and even rarer for people to be born with it, like Jackie was. But what if this uncommon ailment could be cured with the help of an even less common animal?Dr. Kaylee Byers sits down with Adele Gonzalvez from the University of Sydney on her work to understand the genetic properties of platypus venom. Researchers indicate that their peculiar toxin could put a halt to chronic pain. Meanwhile, producer Sean Holden, puts on rubber waders and sloshes into the boggy waters of Southern Australia to find the notoriously elusive platypus and its venom.—Highlights:(6:28) A lifetime of pain, Jackie Gonzalez on having Erythromelalgia(13:51) A weird and wonderful platypus with Adele Gonzalvez(21:30) On the platypus prowl, Josh Griffith and his team search for platypus and their venom—Learn-A-Long: https://bit.ly/3Nv5X6v—Resources:Next-gen painkillers from nature’s deadliest life forms | The University of QueenslandChronic Pain Among Adults — United States, 2019–2021 | MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly ReportYou Won’t Think the Platypus Is So Cute if You Feel the Excruciating Pain of Its Venom | SlateThe Science of Pain | GI SocietyThe mysterious science of pain - Joshua W. Pate | TED-EdHuman pain and genetics: some basics | British Journal of PainGenetic contributions to pain: a review of findings in humans | Oral Dis. 2008 Nov;14(8):673-82Why Do I Have Pain? | KidsHealth Medical ExpertsChannelopathy-associated congenital insensitivity to pain | Medline PlusErythromelalgia | StatPearls PublishingSCN9A gene sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 9 | Medline Plus—Credit:Special thanks to Jackie Gonzalez from the Erythromelalgia Association for providing field recordings of her daily experience living with EM.

Challenging our assumptions about sleepSleep is essential to our lives, but our perception of how it functions in our non-waking life is not always well understood. So in the mires of our busy daily lives do we overlook sleep by seeing it as a means of refilling our energy for a productive day? By questioning this assumption, one term rolls from out of the haze: The ‘Circadian Rhythm’.Dr. Kaylee Byers speaks with Dr. Hiroki Ueda from the University of Tokyo in the Faculty of Medicine on demystifying the links between our sleep and genomics. Then neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Coogan shares the connection between sleep and ADHD. Finally, we hear from Dr. Ueda and Dr. Hiroshi Ono, from Hitotsubashi University Business School, on how their homeland of Japan is reckoning with an off-balance relationship with sleep and work.—Highlights:(06:37) - Clocks in our bodies, understanding Circadian Rythms(10:17) - Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder and later sleep, a chicken or egg dilemma(15:19) - Challenging overwork in Japan and the importance of sleep—Learn-A-Long: https://bit.ly/47PXwuv—Resources:Molecular Mechanisms of REM Sleep | NeurosciThe ability to dream may be genetic | Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC)Next-Generation Mice Genetics for Circadian Studies | NeuromethodsEvolution of temporal order in living organisms | Journal of Circadian RhythmsLearn about the bunker experiment to understand the human biological clock | BritannicaGenetic sleep deprivation: using sleep mutants to study sleep functions | EMBO reportsCircadian rhythms and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The what, the when and the why | Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol PsychiatryInsomnia: Definition, Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences | Journal of Clinical Sleep MedicineNo Sleep for Japan? Survey Reveals Half of Population May Have Insomnia | Nippon.comWhy Sleep Matters: Quantifying the Economic Costs of Insufficient Sleep | Rand CorporationJapan has some of the longest working hours in the world. It’s trying to change | CNBCAnnouncement of the establishment of the nonpartisan "Parliamentary League to Promote Initiatives for People's Quality Sleep" | Sleeping Council FederationFounder/Director CTO Yasumi Ueda gave a speech at the inaugural general meeting of the nonpartisan "Parliamentary League to Promote Initiatives for People's Quality Sleep" | ACCELStarsFree-running circadian activity rhythms in free-living beaver (Castor canadensis) | Journal of Comparative PhysiologyCredits:Dr. Rackeb TesfayeCurbing death by overwork | Financial TimesWhy does Japan Work So Hard? | CNBC ExplainsWorked to Death: Japan questions high-pressure corporate culture | France 24 EnglishInside Japan’s growing ‘lonely death’ clean-up service | CNN InternationalHow can governments help stop overwork? | The Question | CBC News: The National

Challenging our assumptions on toxinsWhat’s more terrifying than the true life tales of bloodcurdling and breathstopping toxins? This Hallows' Eve we're taking a page from the history books to make sense of puzzling poisons of our past and present.Dr. Kaylee Byers speaks with Toxicologist Dr. Kimberly Garrett as they connect the dots across the globe of some of the most notorious and subtle poisonings in history. From investigating the final words of a disgraced emperor, tragic fates of conquesting explorers, wisdom from whimsical alchemists and desperate Victorian candy maker ploys, they demystify the distinction between necessary warning labels to lifelines concocted with a drop of poison.In these ghoulish stories, a healthy dose of information could be a lifesaver.—Highlights:(08:46) - Origins of 'the dose Makes the poison', a sometimes right alchemist(20:30) - A deathly candy maker on hallows eve(23:28) - Toxins in the water, understanding PFAS—Learn-A-Long:  https://bit.ly/47ub5Qo—Resources:Was Napolean Poisoned? | American Museum of Natural HistoryA Visit to Longwood | Napoleon.orgPick Your Poison - 12 Toxic Tales | National GeographicParalytic Shellfish Poisoning Safe Shellfish | Fisheries Research Board of CanadaUnprecedented toxic algal blooms impact on Tasmanian seafood industryParacelsus, the Alchemist Who Wed Medicine to Magic | Science History Institute“The Dose Makes the Poison” | Chemical Safety FactsEveryday Toxicology – The dose makes the poison & the cure | Michigan State UniversityBox Jellyfish | National GeographicPhylogenetic and Selection Analysis of an Expanded Family of Putatively Pore-Forming Jellyfish Toxins (Cnidaria: Medusozoa) | Genome Biology and EvolutionFollowing Lewis and Clark’s Trail of Mercurial Laxatives | DiscoverHow Tainted Treats Led to a Halloween Tragedy in 1858 | Atlas ObscuraMulti- and Transgenerational Effects of Developmental Exposure to Environmental Levels of PFAS and PFAS Mixture in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) | ToxicsPFAS Resources | PFAS ExchangePFAS Free Producsts| PFAS CentralThe US National Institutes of Health's searchable chemical database | PubChemImproving governance of “forever chemicals” in the US and beyond | One EarthArsenic Exposure and Toxicology: A Historical Perspective | Society of ToxicologyThe gastric disease of Napoleon Bonaparte: brief report for the bicentenary of Napoleon’s death on St. Helena in 1821 | Virchows Archiv—Credit:Bonapartes Retreat - Kay Starr - Pee Wee King | CapitolRule, Britannia - Royal Choral Society - The Philharmonia Orchestra | His Master’s Voice

Challenging our assumptions around fatnessShantaQuilette Carter was in her late 30’s when she had her first stroke. It felt like death was lurking over her shoulder. But when her doctor suggests fending it off by using a drug she had never heard of before, a boatload of questions come to the surface.Dr. Kaylee Byers sits down with experts to challenge the everyday assumptions we make about our health and weight. She speaks with professor and journalist Harriet Brown on the fact-finding mission she embarked on to help her daughter struggling with anorexia. Then, Dr. Michael Lyon, with the Obesity Medicine and Diabetes Institute, shares the scaly lizard origins of one of the world's most powerful tools in treating type 2 diabetes.—Highlights:(06:57) The drug that changed her life, ShantaQuilette on struggling with weight(09:00) How a lizard from Utah is saving lives, Dr. Michael Lyon explains the origins of Ozempic(17:00) Harriet Brown on a mission to display assumptions on weight and health—Learn-A-Long: https://bit.ly/3QM7EPi—Resources:Diabetes: Key Facts | The World Health OrganizationHow a Canadian scientist and a venomous lizard helped pave the way for Ozempic | Global NewsI’m a Fat Activist. I Don’t Use the Word Fatphobia. Here’s Why | self.comShortage of diabetes, weight-loss drug Ozempic expected in Canada, says manufacturer | Canadian Broadcast CorporationAn Aggressive New Approach to Childhood Obesity | The New York TimesBody of Truth: By Harriet Brown | Da Capo Lifelong BooksIs Body Positivity Glamourising Obesity | The Wellness InsiderWhy People Become Overweight | Harvard UniversityHere’s How Your Genes Impact Your Ability to Lose Weight | healthlineWhat Made Humans ‘the Fat Primate’ | Duke UniversityGenes and Obesity | Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAfter his suicide, a man’s family says Ozempic should carry a warning label | ABC News—Credit:Ozempic commercial ™ | Ozempics TMNew Ozempic lawsuit over alleged 'stomach paralysis' | WNN | ABC NewsWhy Are Some Using Diabetes Drug Ozempic for Weight Loss? | Inside EditionJimmy Kimmel’s Oscars Monologue 2023 | Jimmy Kimmel Live

Questioning persistent myths about same-sex behaviour in natureCan we predict who we love from our genetics alone? For LGBT History Month in October, Dr. Kaylee Byers is joined by co-host Dr. Julia Monk to look at what our genes teach us about diverse forms of sexuality and identity. Starting by witnessing a pair of male penguins cozying up, our hosts join flippers to unearth research from naturalists who have recorded same-sex behaviour in the wild. Then they invite socio-geneticist Dr. Robbee Wedow to guide us through his own research, where he puts the question: "Is there a gay gene?" to the test.—Highlights:(00:30) A match made in pebbles(07:15) Buried papers, Darwinian Paradoxes, and reframing same-sex behaviour(20:27) Is there a Gay Gene? 'Damned if you do damned if you don't.'—Learn-A-Long: https://bit.ly/3FNfz8C—References:Gay Penguins Klaus, Jones ‘rekindled their romance’ at Melbourne aquarium | New York Daily NewsNature is queer. Queer ecologists want us to learn from it. | GristIs nature Queer? | Out & About | CBCTerra Nova notebooks describing penguin sexual behaviours acquired by the Museum | Natural History MuseumAn alternative hypothesis for the evolution of same-sex sexual behaviour in animals | Nature Ecology & EvolutionLarge-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior | ScienceMany Genes Influence Same-Sex Sexuality, Not a Single ‘Gay Gene’ | The New York TimesNo 'gay gene', but study finds genetic links to sexual behavior | ReutersHow Earnest Research Into Gay Genetics Went Wrong | Wired—Credit:Gentoo Penguin · Pygoscelis papua | xeno-canto"No Gay Gene"-Born This Way Is A Lie Says GOP Lawmaker | Michael McInteeAustralian current affairs programme "The 7.30 Report" (1995) "Gay Brains" | The 7.30 ReportNature or Nurture - Are People Born Gay? | Naked Science

Challenging assumptions around food securityIs the world running out of bananas? Well, no. Not…yet — but nature is flashing a big, yellow, squishy "caution" sign. In this episode, Dr. Kaylee Byers peels away our assumptions about food security by looking at bananas. Venturing Down Under, we connect with Dr. James Dale from Queensland University of Technology – a bona fide banana expert, who tells us exactly why this iconic yellow fruit could one day become a rarity. But, with the help of a clever genomic idea, he and his intrepid team of Aussie researchers and farmers are looking at how to hit "abort" on complete Bananageddon.Special thanks to Mark Smith with Darwin Fruit Farm Party Limited for providing field recordings for this episode.—Highlights:(01:48) Peeling into bananageddon(10:33) The cavendish equation, a lucky banana swap (20:57) Safety net, saving the cavendish —Learn-A-Long: https://bit.ly/46THrTU—References:Why Don’t Banana Candies Taste Like Real Bananas? | Science FridayWhat We Can Learn From the Near-Death of the Banana | TIMEBanana Wars: Power, Production, and History in the Americas | Duke University PressChinese coolies | National Library BoardThe Story of the Cavendish Banana | Tenerife WeeklyNot your mother’s banana | BananageddonFungal attacks threaten global food supply, say experts | The GuardianThe banana is dying. The race is on to reinvent it before it's too late | WiredQUT-developed GM Cavendish offers safety net to world banana industry | Queensland University of Technology—Credit:Journey to Banana Land: By the United Fruit Company (1950) | Institute of Visual TrainingAg Report: Fighting rural farm crime; banana disease; and ag grant award | ABC News

Cross-examining the origins of our base pairsOne of our most foundational assumptions is that ‘Our DNA is our own.’ But what if our DNA is stolen? There's a puzzling phenomenon called 'horizontal gene transfer' in which one organisms' genetics jumps to another. Dr. Kaylee Byers is joined by invertebrate specialists Dr. Anna Klompen from the Stowers Institute, and Dr. Jessica Goodheart, a marine biologist hunting for nudibranchs, "gene pirates" of the sea. And Dr. Ted Turlings will tell us how his trip to China led to an exciting discovery about the whitefly -- another common but crafty genetic thief. A final word of advice. Next time a goopy organism bumps into you in a crowd, make sure to check your genes! A special thanks to the laboratory of Professor Youjun Zhang Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing. Drs. Zhaojiang Guo, Jixing Xia, and Zezhong Yang.—Highlights:(00:00) Finding the Transforming Principle(11:34) A colorful and slick ocean pirate(17:50) The hunt for a fluttering and destructive gene thief—Learn-A-Long: https://bit.ly/49qSB4T—Resources:Frederick Griffith - British Bacteriologist | BritannicaGriffith’s Experiment - Progress in Molecular Biology and Transitional Science | Science Direct20 Cool Genomics Facts - 13&14: Antibiotic resistance | Genome BCAncient viral DNA may help humans fight infections | National Institute of HealthVenom system variation and the division of labor in the colonial hydrozoan Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus | Science DirectNematocyst sequestration evolution | The Goodheart labA chromosome-level genome for the nudibranch gastropod Berghia stephanieae helps parse clade-specific gene expression in novel and conserved phenotypes | bioRxivFirst Report of Horizontal Gene Transfer Between Plant and Animal | The ScientistPretty Sly for a Whitefly | The AtlanticFirst known gene transfer from plant to insect identified | NatureWhiteflies stole a gene from plants to survive their lethal toxins | Earth.com—Credit:Lady Margot Asquith on the outbreak of World War I Roman Styran

What did your grade four teacher say? "Never Assume. It makes an..." well, you know the rest. We all fall into the trap of our own assumptions from time to time. But in the weird and wonderful world of science, assumptions can misguide research madly off in all directions. That's why challenging assumptions is so important!Join host Dr. Kaylee Byers and the Nice Genes! podcast team on a journey to learn the truth about some of our most deeply held assumptions. We’ll uncover whether our DNA is truly our own, or a product of genetic theft. We’ll question how societal baggage colours commonly held views about weight and health. And we’ll ponder the genetic puzzle that many assume holds the key to who we are, and who we love. So buckle up your genomics belt and help us follow the assumptions "paper trail." Along the way -- you just might learn the truth about some of our most deeply held societal beliefs.

How a Reptilian 'Virgin Birth' Baffled ScientistsDr. Kaylee Byers and Producer Phoebe Melvin share one lonely crocodile's story that surprised scientists and sheds light on their distant relatives that once wandered the earth. Resources:'Virgin Birth' recorded in Crocodile for 1st time ever | Live ScienceMonsieur Crocodile - Les 5 Pères | Austin FoundationCrocodile Tears - Eddy Howard and His Orchestra | Austin Foundation

Welcome to our first Gene Shorts Episode! It's the trademark storytelling you love in Nice Genes! but bite sized.In this episode Dr. Kaylee Byers speaks with Producer Phoebe Melvin about a potentially life saving discovery lurking in the damp depths of brown bear caves.

Repairing the Environment: Climate Special Part 2 With disappearing species, plastic-filled oceans, and environmental commitments lagging behind global targets, it's easy to feel like humanity's fate is already sealed. But can we 'science' our way out of it?In this episode, Dr. Kaylee Byers meets up with Dr. Aria Hahn to discuss what she believes could be a handy tool to repair some of the damage that's already been done to the planet. While becoming a scientist, she spotted the incredible potential of microbes, tiny organisms responsible for the foundations of life on earth. These tiny microbes have a large role to play in helping us create renewable resources and repair the areas devastated by our climate crisis. Second, we join microbiologist Dr. Christian Rinke whose relaxing sailboat getaway lead him to discover a wriggly solution to the world's plastic pollution problem.From insect guts to cold hydrothermal vents, the odd places on our planet hold critical answers, and may even shape our future on this spinning rock we call home.Special thanks to the University of British Columbia students who shared their voices on this episode and scientist and diver Dale Anderson for sharing recordings from his adventures to Antarctica.Resources:1. What Microbes Can Teach Us About Adapting to Climate Change | American Society for Microbiology2. Scientists’ warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change | Nature3. Nutrient Acquisition and the Metabolic Potential of Photoferrotrophic Chlorobi | University of British Columbia4. BC's giant landslide serves as warning for other parts of the world | Global News5. Soapy the Germ Fighter | Avis Films6. Here’s how the mining industry can respond to climate change | McKinsey Sustainability7. 'Superworms' survive solely on polystyrene, as researchers look to create plastic recycling technology | ABC News8. Superworms: how plastic-eating larvae sparked a scientific breakthrough | The University of Queensland9. Wax worm saliva rapidly breaks down plastic bags, scientists discover | The Guardian10. Climate change and the microbiology of the Antarctic Peninsula region | British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council11. Survival strategies of an anoxic microbial ecosystem in Lake Untersee, a potential analog for Enceladus | Nature PortfolioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracking diseases using genomics  Stop the presses! New research shows that viruses locked in the Arctic permafrost for thousands of years have the potential to infect present-day organisms. Accompanied with a warming planet, this issue is really starting to thaw out. So what can brave scientists and institutions on the frontlines of tracking diseases do about it? And how can understanding our genomic history with diseases over thousands of years better prepare us in the fight to overcome them?Dr. Kaylee Byers starts our journey by slinking into a disease-tracking genomics lab at Simon Fraser University to meet Dr. Michael Trimble and Dr. Will Hsiao to understand the challenge of outpacing the rapid evolution of viruses. Then she pops across the ocean to speak with Dr. Birgitta Evengård and Dr. Jean-Michel Claverie about whether the Pandora's box of ancient diseases frozen in the arctic have the potential to become the next global outbreak as temperatures warm. Plus, we unearth ancient burial sites in Vietnam with Dr. Melandri Vlok, to investigate how climate change exacerbates the tension between human health and pathogens.Special thanks to Dr. Will Hsiao and Dr. Michael Trimble for allowing us to record with them at Simon Fraser University.Click here for this episode's Learn-A-Long! Resources:1. Infection control in the new age of genomic epidemiology | British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory2. The permafrost pandemic: could the melting Arctic release a deadly disease | Unearthed3. Viral spillover risk increases with climate change in High Arctic lake sediments | The Royal Society4. Healthy ecosystems for human and animal health: Science diplomacy for responsible development in the Arctic | The Nordic Centre of Excellence5. Understanding and Responding to Global Health Security Risks from Microbial Threats in the Arctic: Proceedings of a Workshop | National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine6. Next pandemic may come from melting glaciers, new data shows | The Guardian7. Scientists Revived Ancient 'Zombie Viruses' Frozen For Eons in Siberia | Science Alert8. A 48,500-year-old virus has been revived from Siberian permafrost | NewScientist9. Anthrax outbreak in Siberia | euro news10. CBC News: The National | Russia invades Ukraine | Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC)11. National Geographic: Explorer Directory, Melandri Vlok | National Geographic12. Paleoepidemiological Considerations of Mobility and Population Interaction in the Spread of Infectious Diseases in the Prehistoric Past | Bioarchaeology International13. The Epidemiological Transition: A Theory of the Epidemiology of Population Change | Milbank Memorial Fund14. Forager and farmer evolutionary adaptations to malaria evidenced by 7000 years of thalassemia in Southeast Asia | nature portfolio15. CARD 2020: antibiotic resistome surveillance with the comprehensive antibiotic resistance database | Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser UniversitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Preparing the Environment: Climate Special Part 1  In part 1 of our climate special, we revisit our oceans to look at the rocky atolls and reefs that are home to colourful world builders, coral!Since the 1950’s the planet has lost half of its coral reefs due to degradation. With ocean temperatures rising and harmful environmental and human activities, how can we better protect essential ecosystems for communities and marine life alike?Dr. Kaylee Byers sits down with Dr. Shayle Matsuda, a marine biologist looking into the effects of environmental stresses on coral reefs due to the climate crisis. And with the aid of genomic sequencing, Shayle wonders if we can utilize a clever symbiotic relationship found on these fascinating organisms to cultivate greater reef resilience into the future. Next, meet Ben Williams from the University of Exeter, who shares a unique acoustic invention to help restore reefs in Indonesia. And finally, researcher Madelyn Jones takes us through her work on the British Columbia coast to replenish the spiralling towers we call "kelp forests."Click here for this episode's Learn-A-Long! Resources:1. The sound of recovery: Coral reef restoration success is detectable in the soundscape | British Ecological Society2. Vital Signs: Ocean Warming | NASA3. The Planet Has Lost Half of Its Coral Reefs Since 1950 | Smithsonian4. Coral Reefs Could All Die Off by 2050 | EcoWatch5. ‘Dire outlook’: scientists say Florida reefs have lost nearly 98% of coral | The Guardian6. Report: Florida's Coral Reefs Among Most Damaged In U.S. | CBS Local News7. HydroMoth: Testing a prototype low-cost acoustic recorder for aquatic environments | ZSL8. What is a kelp forest? | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration9. Canada’s kelp forests are at risk. A seaweed farmer is trying to save them | CBC Creator Network10. Months after mass die-off of sea creatures in B.C. heat dome, researchers return in search of signs of life | CBC News11. Coral Bleaching Susceptibility Is Predictive of Subsequent Mortality Within but Not Between Coral Species | Frontiers12. Larval thermal conditioning does not improve post-settlement thermal tolerance in the dominant reef-building coral, Montipora capitata | Springer13. Genome-powered classification of microbial eukaryotes: focus on coral algal symbionts | Science Direct12. Do Coral Reefs Produce Oxygen? | Techie Scientist14. What is coral spawning? | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration15. Myth 5 - Genomics Can't Help Climate Change | Genome British ColumbiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A genomic whale of a story Things aren’t always what they seem on the surface, especially when it comes to our oceans. So many mysteries hum below its watery surface. So, you may just have to use your ears when it's too dark to see exactly what's going on down there.Dr. Kaylee Byers looks into the ocean giants that lurk in the depths and the unique songs they share with us. She sits down with whale biologist Dr. Jennifer Allen on how whale songs are imparting a cultural exchange between populations that are hundreds of miles apart. Filmmaker Joshua Zeman shares his journey to find the infamously dubbed 'Loneliest Whale'. And Paeleobiologist Dr. Travis Park from the Museum of Natural History in London tells us how whales developed their unique singing superpowers by taking us back through millions of years of evolution. Finally, researcher Grace Baer brings us to a remote west coast station studying whale populations and the effects of ocean traffic noise.It's a whale-sized episode taking you on a listening journey into this wonderful watery world!Click here for this episode's Learn-A-Long!CREDITS: Special thanks to Captain Gaelen Krause of the Island Odyssey, for capturing recordings on his journey to search for whales along the British Columbia coast. Thank you to BCwhales.org, North Coast Cetacean Society, for providing hydrophone recordings in this episode. Credit to Joshua Zeman and Bleecker Street Media for providing audio clips from their documentary The Loneliest Whale: The Seach for 52. And finally, credit to Watkins Mammal Sound Database with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for access to their whale recordings.Resources:1. Southern Resident Killer Whale Research Project | Parks Canada2. Whales learn songs from each other in a cultural 'deep dive' | phys.org3. Whale-monitoring robots are oceanic eavesdroppers with a mission | Popular Science4. Whale Songs Are Getting Deeper | The Atlantic5. The search for the loneliest whale in the world | The Guardian6. The Loneliest Whale: The Search fro 52 | Bleecker Street Media7. BTS (방탄소년단) Whalien 52' MV | BigHit Entertainment7. Watkins Marine Mammal Sound Database  | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution8. Underwater Noise Pollution Is Disrupting Ocean Life - But We Can Fix it | TIME9. Convergent evolution in toothed whale cochleae | BMC Evolutionary Biology10. Evolutionary Basis of High-Frequency Hearing in the Cochleae of Echolocators Revealed by Comparative Genomics | Oxford Academic11. Genome-culture coevolution promotes rapid divergence of killer whale ecotypes | Nature12. DNA Suggests Cultural Traits Affect Whale Evolution | Science13. San Francisco: Dead Whale Opens Seafood Season | Universal International Newswire14. Songs of the Humpback Whale | Roger Payne, CRM Records15. Whaling Commission | Associated Press Archive16. Monaco - International Whaling Commission | Associated Press Archive17. Bubble Net Feeding | BC Whales18. Cool Genomics Facts - Fact 4 & 5: Environmental DNA | Genome British ColumbiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Importance of Biodiversity  Conservation is often about protecting the species that still wander around our Earth. But what about those that once did but have gone extinct? In this Halloween-inspired episode, we take a look into how one spooky idea has gone from science fiction to science fact, de-extinction style.Dr. Kaylee Byers takes us to the upside-down world of wild animals in Australia. She sits down with Dr. Axel Newton whose research addresses how to resurrect a species that has been extinct for nearly a century. Also joining her is  Dr. Carolyn Hogg who uses the latest genomic technology to understand the impacts of reintroducing endangered species into their native habitats. In this wacky tale of resurrection and 'devils' will the spirit of scientific discovery mean incredible changes for the future, or is a line being crossed that we can't come back from?Click here for this episode's Learn-A-Long! Resources:1. Lab takes 'giant leap' toward thylacine de-extinction with Colossal genetic engineering technology partnership | The University of Melbourne2. Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research Lab (TIGRR Lab) | The University of Melbourne3. Thylacine: How we plan to de-extinct the Tasmanian tiger | Colossal Laboratories and Biosciences4. Extinction of thylacine | National Museum Australia5. A year after Australia's wildfires, extinction threatens hundreds of species | Science News6. Rewilding returns lost species to strengthen ecosystems | Science News7. Park Conscious | U.S. Dept. of Agriculture8. Endangered Tasmanian devils insured against future threats | The University of Sydney9. The 9 Steps to De-Extincting Australia's Thylacine | The University of Melbourne10. The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species | Marsupial Genetics and Genomics11. Assessing evolutionary processes over time in a conservation breeding program: a combined approach using molecular data, simulations and pedigree analysis | Biodiversity and Conservation  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.