Passengers in a Bacterial Body

The Naked Scientists Podcast

Dr Chris Smith

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

4.6 • 957 Ratings

🗓️ 11 June 2011

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The good side of microbes goes under the microscope this week as we explore how the 100 trillion bacteria that thrive on us and in us, and even outnumber our own cells ten times over, work with the body to maintain good health. We also hear from the Nobel prizewinner who's turning the stomach bug Helicobacter pylori into an edible vaccine against the flu and how to build better bioreactors to culture them in! Plus, how trees cause clouds to form, more evidence that the building blocks of life came from outer space, how nicotine keeps smokers thin and built-in cardiac stem cells that can mend a... 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 12th of June. Welcome to the naked scientist with me Chris Smith and with me Dr
0:25.2	Katani. This week we're asking what do microbes do for us? It's a fact that there are up to 50 times more bugs living in each of us than there are human cells in the entire body
0:38.1	And based on recent headlines you might think that these bacteria are only bad news.
0:42.6	Some are, but many make us much healthier,
0:45.6	including lending us their genetic know-how
0:47.6	so that we can fend off infections
0:49.2	and get the most out of the food we eat.
0:51.2	But how do they do it?
0:52.3	Stay with us to find out. We'll also meet the scientist trying to turn a stomach bug into an edible flu vaccine with some ups and downs of stomach contents.
1:02.0	We're gearing up now for clinical trials. We are kind of
1:04.9	getting back into humans and so if you see somebody outside my hospital throwing up
1:12.3	they might not actually be a patient. They might be
1:15.0	somebody in one of my research studies because we are currently dosing people with
1:18.9	these helicopter's trying to find the right one.
1:21.4	Ew rather than me.
1:24.0	The Nobel Prize winner Barry Marshall will be talking to us later.
1:27.4	Plus, news of how the building blocks of life arrived on Earth from space
1:31.6	and the reason why smoking may make people stay thin.
1:34.8	So if you have any questions for us, here's how you can get in touch.
1:38.5	You can tweet at Naked Scientists, you can write on our Facebook page that's The Naked Scientist.com
1:44.1	slash Facebook or you can drop us an email it's Chris at the Naked
	...

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