Disease

'The Vaccine Race' is a history of our fight against viral diseases. In the book, journalist Meredith Wadman tells the story of a major breakthrough in cell biology that remains important to this… Audio

A cure for cancer isn't that far away, reckons engineering professor Steve Henry. His local tech outfit has developed a way to change the appearance of cancer cells so that the immune system can… Audio

After seeing one too many websites with dodgy information about pest control, Nelson horticulturist Bill Brett decided to write a book with some facts based on science. He shares some tips. Audio, Gallery

Further evidence Parkinson's disease may be triggered in the intestine raises hopes for earlier diagnosis and scientists in South Africa discover the disease trajectory of tuberculosis. Audio

Professor Aviv Regev from MIT is one of the leaders of The Human Cell Atlas, an ambitious project that aims to map the 35 trillion cells in our body that make us who we are. It's been described as a… Audio

"For 150 years people have wanted to live in the city and the country at the same time" says historian Ben Schrader. Audio

New Zealand sea lions are the rarest sea lion in the world. They face a number of threats, including disease, food limitation and by-catch in commercial fisheries - so which threat is most important?

Humans think they’re sophisticated but have fewer genes than a banana. With two percent of our genome encoding proteins, scientists are turning to junk DNA to determine the chance of heart disease and… Audio

Genomics has gone from searching for something unknown to targeted gene research on the cause of diseases of like obesity, but with the technology comes the potential for abuse and possibility of a… Audio

Marrying your first cousin, rat voyagers, genetic whakapapa and the failure of scientists to respectfully engage with indigenous populations are laid out for comment in this panel discussion on DNA… Audio

Genetic information could eventually be used to choose a child's sex, influence insurance approval, or as evidence for criminal intent, but whether it should be is still up for debate. Audio