Otago-based scientists from around the world are sharing their stories of discovery in a new radio and podcast series on OAR FM Dunedin.
Around the World in 80 Discoveries is hosted by Alba Suarez Garcia, who is working towards a PhD in science communication at University of Otago.
Interviews with Alba’s colleagues are recorded in their own research spaces and laboratories, providing insight into the struggles and successes that go hand in hand with scientific learning.
The featured scientists are:
Alexandra Boix, a cancer microbiologist from Spain, who is studying the role of a tumour protein called p53 in the development of cancer.
Karlis Berzins, a physical chemist from Latvia, who is investigating the properties of pharmaceutical compounds using lasers of visible light.
Lara Urban, a conservation geneticist from Germany, who is using genomic data to inform and improve conservation management of kakapo and takahe.
Pedro Henrique, an astrophysicist from Brazil, who is researching the rotational speeds of neutron stars.
Nellissa Ling, a biological anthropologist from Borneo/Canada, who is studying the origins and antiquity of gout and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in ancient Asian populations.
Amir Amini, a food scientist from Iran, who is fortifying bread with a green banana flour that is rich in resistant starch.
Around The World in 80 Discoveries airs on Saturdays at 2.30pm with replays on Wednesdays at 9.30am on OAR 105.4FM and 1575AM. Podcasts are available from oar.org.nz, Google podcasts and Apple podcasts.