Revealed: A clearer view of how general anaesthetics actually work
Nature Podcast
podcast@nature.com
4.5 • 893 Ratings
🗓️ 2 September 2020
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Engineering yeast to produce medicines, and the mechanism of anaesthetic action.
In this episode:
00:44 Making medicine with yeast
The tropane alkaloids are an important class of medicine, but they are produced agriculturally leaving them vulnerable to extreme weather and world events. Now, researchers have engineered yeast to produce these important molecules. Research Article: Srinivasan and Smolke
06:36 Coronapod
We discuss the complex story of immunity to COVID-19, and how this may affect vaccine development. News Feature: What the immune response to the coronavirus says about the prospects for a vaccine
16:33 Research Highlights
The neurological reason for overindulgence, and the bacteria that harness copper electrodes. Research Highlight: The brain circuit that encourages eating for pleasure; Research Highlight: Microbes with mettle build their own electrical ‘wires’
19:07 The molecular mechanisms of general anaesthetics
Despite over a century of use, there’s a lot we don’t know about how anaesthetics function. This week, researchers have identified how some of them they bind to a specific neuronal receptor. Research Article: Kim et al.
26:34 Briefing Chat
Whilst the Nature Briefing is on its summer holidays, we take a look at some other science from around the web. This time we discuss Elon Musk’s latest showcase of a brain-chip, and the physics behind how boats can float upside down on levitating liquid. New Scientist: Elon Musk demonstrated a Neuralink brain implant in a live pig; Business Insider: Elon Musk's AI brain chip company Neuralink is doing its first live tech demo on Friday. Here's what we know so far about the wild science behind it.; Research Article: Apffel et al.; Video: The weird physics of upside down buoyancy
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Imagine sweeping through green fields, floating five feet above ground, sun on your face as you slide by on track to your destination, not a care in the world as you simply lean back, and before you know it, you're there. |
| 0:16.8 | London to Birmingham from just £16 each way. |
| 0:20.5 | Avanti West Coast. |
| 0:22.2 | Feel good travel. |
| 0:23.8 | Exclusions and limitations apply. |
| 0:25.6 | Full terms and conditions can be found at avantiwestcoast.com. |
| 0:28.2 | com.com. |
| 0:28.6 | U.K. forward slash plan. |
| 0:36.3 | Nature. |
| 0:36.7 | An experiment. |
| 0:40.3 | Why is it like so far? Like it sounds so simple. |
| 0:41.3 | They had no idea |
| 0:43.3 | But now the data's people |
| 0:44.3 | I find this not only refreshing |
| 0:47.3 | but at some level astounding |
| 0:52.3 | Nature |
| 0:53.3 | Welcome back to the nature podcast. |
| 0:58.0 | This week, growing medicine with yeast. |
| 1:01.5 | And the mystery mechanism of general anaesthetics. |
| 1:04.9 | I'm Nick Howell. |
| 1:05.8 | And I'm Charmne Bundell. |
| 1:17.1 | No. Bundell. First up, reporter Adam Levy is here to tell us about the use of baker's yeast to make an |
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