S5.01 How the zebra got its stripes: When maths and molecules collide
Hello, and welcome to Genetics Unzipped - the Genetics Society podcast, with me, Dr Kat Arney. In this episode we’re taking a trip back to the 1950s to find out how one of the world’s greatest minds revealed the maths behind some of the deepest mysteries of life, from the patterning of stripes on a zebra to the spots on a leopard, and even the bones in your own body.
Welcome back! I hope you had a happy and healthy festive season and are heading into the new year with hope in your heart.
Before we start, I want to let you know about the Festival of Genomics and Biodata – a fascinating celebration of the world of genes and genomes brought to you by Frontline Genomics, which is running online from the 25th to the 29th of January. The Festival is covering a wider range of subjects than ever before with talks on multi-omics, liquid biopsy, cancer genomics, drug discovery, precision medicine, the dark genome, single cell, polygenic risk scores, big data, AI, the microbiome and more – so you’ll definitely find something you enjoy!
You can tune in live or watch on demand to hear from more than 200 expert speakers from the cutting edge of genomics and health data science, including a few we’ve had here on the podcast, and it’s free for 95% of attendees. Find out more and register at festivalofgenomics.com
We’re kicking off 2022 with a story I originally wrote a little while back for the science magazine Mosaic, which we’re using here under a Creative Commons licence.
So, if you’re sitting comfortably, Best Beloved, then we’ll begin.
That’s all for now. Many thanks to my editor at Mosaic, Mun-Keat Looi, for all his help bringing the story of how the zebra got its stipes to life. You can get the link to the full story, plus a couple of bonus extra pieces about how Turing patterns may be involved in fruit fly development after all, and the growing role of mathematical modelling in biology, by following the links on the page for this podcast at GeneticsUnzipped.com.
We’ll be back next time chatting to Adam Rutherford about his new book Control, exploring the dark history - and disturbing present-day legacy - of eugenics, and how we should address the role that some of the 20th century’s leading geneticists played in this oppressive ideology.
For more information about this podcast including show notes, transcripts, links, references, music credits and everything else head over to geneticsunzipped.com You can find us on Twitter @geneticsunzip and please do take a moment to rate and review us on Apple podcasts - it really makes a difference and helps more people discover the show.
Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by me, Kat Arney. It is produced by First Create the Media for The Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. You can find out more and apply to join at genetics.org.uk. Our theme music was composed by Dan Pollard, and the logo was designed by James Mayall, and audio production was by Hannah Varrall. Thanks for listening, and until next time, goodbye.
References:
Alan Turing’s original 1952 paper ‘The chemical basis of morphogenesis’ [PDF], outlining his ideas and the equations supporting them.
James Sharpe and Maria Ros’s 2012 paper, showing that a Turing pattern is at work in the mouse limb.
The 2014 follow-up, revealing the molecules involved in the limb-patterning Turing system.
The definitive biography of Alan Turing, by Andrew Hodges.
A simple explanation of how Turing patterns work in biological systems, from Kele Cable.
Chemistry World looks back on the history of Turing patterns in physical and biological systems.
Music and sound effects licensed from Epidemic Sound and Envato
Image credits:
Alan Turing, Image via Wikimedia Commons
