Enzymes
Plastics designed to degrade on command
Scion scientists are introducing enzymes to plastics that will trigger degradation once the plastic's work is done. Audio
Sir Paul Nurse: What Is Life?
Nobel prize-winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse's latest book, What Is Life?, explores the question of what we as humans share with all other living things on this planet. Audio
Copper - essential, in moderation
Copper is a soft metal that is an essential element for enzymes and life, gives octopuses their blue blood and was often used to make coins. Allan Blackman from AUT has the lowdown on copper in ep 22… Audio
Turning up the heat on enzymes
Biology professor Vic Arcus is trying to tease out how enzymes are able to speed chemical reactions up. Audio
Our Changing World for 11 April 2019
Research into how enzymes are able to speed up reactions as much as they do, and the chemical element cadmium. Audio
Engineering enzymes & harnessing the power of evolution
Enzyme engineer Professor David Ackerley runs the biotechnology lab at Victoria University in Wellington and looks into engineering enzymes that could help make chemotherapy more effective for cancer… Audio
The chemistry of disease
Guy Jameson has been awarded the Beatrice Hill Tinsley Medal for his work understanding the chemical structure of proteins that are important in diseases such as Parkinson's. Audio
Glow in the dark - firefly squid and bioluminescence
Miriam Sharpe and Kurt Krause are investigating the proteins that glow worms and firefly squid use to glow in the dark. Video, Audio
Rethinking enzyme evolution
Proteins have evolved over many millions of years - but they can also evolve rapidly, in just years, and this offers insights into how evolution itself works Audio
Green Chemistry
Ex-pat Kiwi chemist Terry Collins has been designing small enzyme mimics that are able to remove chemicals and hormones from water Audio