Instant Genius11 Maj 2020

Sonia Contera: How will nanotechnology revolutionise medicine?

This week we talk to one of the world’s leading pioneers in the field of nanotechnology, Sonia Contera. Nanotechnology is the application of science at a truly nano scale. To put that in perspective, if a nanometre were the size of a cup of tea, a meter would cover the diameter of the whole Earth. Being able to control the world at such an intricate level has the potential to revolutionise medicine - enabling us to target cancer cells, deliver drugs and fight antibiotic resistance – but how do we create technology to that size? Sonia talks to our editorial assistant Amy Barret about how her work in nanotechnology began, building proteins unknown to nature, and why going nano is nothing like in the movies. Her book Nano Comes To Life (£22, Princeton University Press), is out now. Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window] Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast: Sandro Galea: What is the difference between health and medicine? Jim Al-Khalili: Why should we care about science and scientists? Gordon Wallace: Is an implantable electronic device the future of medicine? Professor Catharina Svanborg: Is the cure for cancer hiding in human breast milk? Nessa Carey: Is gene editing inspiring or terrifying? Dr Lucy Rogers: What makes a robot a robot? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(673)

How forensic scientists gather vital evidence to solve crimes

Whenever a crime is committed, tiny traces of evidence are left behind at the scene, which, if pieced together correctly, can tell us exactly what happened, when it happened and who was responsible. T...

30 Aug 25min

Why the most extreme El Niño event for a century is on its way

Every several years, the surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean rise, triggering a climate event that has a domino effect on weather patterns across the globe. This is known as El Niño – and this y...

27 Aug 26min

The secret world hidden in the ground below us

Though we’re often not aware of it, the ground beneath our feet is teeming with an abundance of life and activity – from the complex networks of fungi and tangled roots put down deep into the Earth by...

23 Aug 36min

The truth about the Nazi fascination with alternative medicine

It’s widely documented that during the time of the Third Reich, the Nazi Party employed a legion of scientists to aid them in their goals of military superiority and ethnic cleansing – particularly in...

20 Aug 24min

What we’re getting wrong about narcissists

Oftentimes in popular culture we’ll hear the term narcissist used to describe a person who has an inflated opinion of themselves, a big ego or someone who tends to overestimate their own abilities. Ho...

16 Aug 28min

The latest breakthroughs in Parkinson’s research

Parkinson’s disease currently affects more than 160,000 people in the UK. It’s a complex, progressive condition that typically develops slowly over many years and causes issues with movement, balance,...

13 Aug 29min

How to harness your brain’s underused superpowers

For a large proportion of our lives, our brains seemingly work on autopilot – the many processes the brain controls hum away behind the scenes, helping us to carry out our daily tasks. But in certain ...

9 Aug 35min

How we define intelligent life

What does it mean to be a living organism? What are the driving forces that motivate our thoughts and actions? Are we all simply acting the way we do thanks to the instructions built into our genes an...

6 Aug 28min