Flu Vaccines from Tobacco?

The Naked Scientists Podcast

Dr Chris Smith

Natural Sciences, Science, Science Radio, Naked Scientists, Health & Fitness, Engineering, Medicine, Technology, Life Sciences

4.6 • 958 Ratings

🗓️ 13 November 2011

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In a show not to be sneezed at, we look at the evidence that coughs and sneezes are linked to heart attacks. We also probe the Flu Survey, a new citizen science initiative to gather data on the incidence of influenza-like illnesses in the European population; we talk to the company who are mass producing flu vaccines in tobacco plants and catch up with the Columbia University scientific adviser on Contagion, Hollywood's latest infectious offering. Plus, why babies don't tie their umbilical cords in knots and news of a new fat-busting injectible that selectively destroys adipose, evidence... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Transcript

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0:00.0	Stripping down science, the naked scientists.
0:07.0	The Naked Scientists. Hello, it's Sunday the 13th of November. Welcome to the Naked Scientists. I'm Chris
0:28.0	Smith and this week I'm joined by Sarah Kaster Perryhysera.
0:31.0	Hello, this week's show is not to be sneezed at, forgive the pun, we're exploring
0:35.9	some of the latest science surrounding seasonal and pandemic flu.
0:40.1	And we'll be hearing how respiratory infections can cause heart attacks and a new way to make vaccines quickly and cheaply by, believe it or not, growing them in tobacco plants.
0:50.0	The production facility in North Carolina works with batches of about 15,000 plants.
0:56.0	15,000 plants translate into about 30 kilograms of plant material, so it looks green, and then that green material can yield about
1:06.6	five million doses of vaccine.
1:09.3	And I'll be chatting with the scientific advisor on the new Hollywood blockbuster contagion to find out if
1:14.4	films really represent reality when it comes to a pandemic. So if you'd like to get in
1:19.1	touch with us with any questions or comments you can tweet at Naked scientists you can also write on our Facebook page
1:25.0	which is at the naked scientist dot com slash
1:28.0	Facebook or you can of course drop us an email
1:30.0	our email address is Chris at the Naked Scientist.com.
1:34.0	The Naked Scientists Podcast is powered by UK Fast.
1:39.0	The UK's best hosting provider on the web at UKfast.co. UK.
1:45.0	Now most people know that flu is an infection of the airways, but that doesn't mean that its effects
1:55.0	on the body are confined to the nose, throat and lungs.
1:58.6	In fact, Dr Charlotte Warren Gash from University College London explained to Chris how she has found that
2:03.9	respiratory infections including the flu are also linked to heart attacks.
2:08.0	Well we've been looking at influenza virus and heart attacks. We're interested in looking at
	...

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