genetics to our- clearing up genetics to our behaviour. _ clearing up genetics to our behaviour, ourhaviour, our disease - clearing up genetics to our. behaviour, our disease states and probably— behaviour, our disease states and probably before - behaviour, our disease states and probably before long - behaviour, our disease states and probably before long you | and probably before long you can predict— and probably before long you can predict somewhat - and probably before long you can predict somewhat how. and probably before long you can predict somewhat how it| can predict somewhat how it should — can predict somewhat how it should behave. _ can predict somewhat how it should behave.— can predict somewhat how it should behave. how does that make you _ should behave. how does that make you feel? _ should behave. how does that make you feel? it _ should behave. how does that make you feel? it is _ should behave. how does that make you feel? it is almost i make you feel? it is almost spooky. _ make you feel? it is almost spooky. i — make you feel? it is almost spooky. i guess. _ ma

in the area of genetics, cancer and rare diseases.loring, personalising the treatment a particular person with a particular cancer will need to deal with their condition and this is the kind of technology that can facilitate that. yes and some people are already benefiting from this so we know that backin benefiting from this so we know that back in 2014 there were over 30,000 of these kinds of genetic tests done for people with different cancers. and that led to some of those people changing their treatment path, it became more personalised and it could mean that they avoided one medicine versus another or it could mean their treatment had fewer side effects for them. of course cost is a big issue and prodded the reason i suspect that the chief medical officer has come up with this now is she can see those costs finally beginning to come down to the point where they can be, this treatment can readily be given to people. we know there are questions, there are pressures on the nhs but this definitely is the direction of travel for canc

a team of scientists have pieced together the dna of dinosaurs and discovered their genetic structuree to living birds. hello and very good evening to you. welcome to bbc news. pope francis has been celebrating mass in front of vast crowds at phoenix park in dublin, on the final day of his visit to ireland. in a lengthy prayer, he asked for forgiveness for the abuse irish people had suffered at the hands of priests. speaking at the knock shrine in county mayo, pope francis called for firm and decisive action to secure truth and justice. earlier today, the pope gave a speech in which he referred to his meeting with eight survivors on saturday evening, and said he wanted to take up what they had said to him, and seek forgiveness. translation: we ask forgiveness for the abuses in ireland, abuses of power, conscience and sexual abuses perpetrated by members with responsibility in the church. in a special way, we ask pardon for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions, run by male orfemale religions and members of the church. we ask for forgiveness. give us the strength to

what are the differences in their genetics?ferences in the genes related to their immune response? are there differences in their underlying health? so, it is a uniquely rich set of data, and i think we could go very quickly into getting some very, very important discoveries. scientists are looking for tiny variations in patients' genetic material. they will be examining genes like the ones involved in making a structure on the outside of cells in ourairways. it acts as a docking site for the virus, allowing it to enter and infect the cell. it could be that differences in people's dna changes this, making it easier for the virus to lock on, resulting in a more severe illness. and we are not at the peak, yet. intensive care units are filling up. and some patients are younger, with no underlying health issues. they're now the focus of a new study starting in new york. for diseases like flu and herpes, some people carry genetic variations that make them seriously ill, and this could be the case with coronavirus. it was discovered

the nhs has begun sequencing the entire genetic code of up to 100,000 newborn babies in england.than 200 rare diseases in children, so they can be treated early. our medical editor fergus walsh reports just a day old. amelia is among the first babies to have their entire genetic code sequenced to look for rare diseases. her mum didn't hesitate when offered the test at birmingham women's hospital. it was a no brainer because amelia will be tested for 200 different genetic conditions so she will benefit but also will contribute to the wider research population, which will affect other children. amelia's blood sample, taken from her umbilical cord, is being sent to labs in cambridge, where her entire genetic code or genome will be sequenced. faulty genes in our dna can cause thousands of rare diseases, but only treatable conditions will be identified. the 200 conditions which have been selected for the programme cause substantial health problems early in childhood and the treatments and interventions which are available for all of these conditions can have a dramatic impact on that

- to restore hearing for a variety of different kinds of genetic hearingj different kinds of geneticof genetic hearing loss. and then have _ different kinds of genetic hearing loss. and then have a _ different kinds of genetic hearing loss. and then have a better- loss. and then have a better approach _ loss. and then have a better approach very— loss. and then have a better approach very restore - loss. and then have a better. approach very restore hearing loss. and then have a better- approach very restore hearing and we don't have _ approach very restore hearing and we don't have to — approach very restore hearing and we don't have to have _ approach very restore hearing and we don't have to have the _ approach very restore hearing and we don't have to have the technology - don't have to have the technology where _ don't have to have the technology where they— don't have to have the technology where they have _ don't have to have the technology where they have to _ don't have to have the technology where they have to be _ don't have to have the technology where they have to be rep

the animal was genetically modified to reduce the chance of the organ being rejected.at the maryland medical center said the 57—year—old patient was doing well the experimental operation was considered the last hope of saving his life. i've been speaking to dr robert montgomery who performed the first successful transplantation using a genetically engineered pig kidney into a human, who was on life support at the time. he is also a heart transplant recipient with a genetic heart disorder. oh, it's a really big deal. it's a huge leap forward. and just explain why. well, it's really the first example of a genetically modified pig organ that's been transplanted into a living human. there's a lot of talk and effort into avoiding the rejection of the organ, and i know that's something that in your work, you've had to focus on as well. the early signs are good, but how much confidence can be gleaned from the first two or three days that this really is going to hold? well, really, what the first two or three days does is it tells you whether the organ�*s functioning, and so f

makeup. 0ne had or may not a pad in terms of their genetic makeup. a dinosaur descendent with us and flourishing that managed to make it through the catastrophic event 66 million years ago.

qm. everyone, only in genetically susceptible individuals.individuals. ok, so you were seeing enough people who i susceptible individuals. ok, so you l were seeing enough people who did susceptible individuals. ok, so you i were seeing enough people who did a lot of exercise and who had motor neurone disease to make you suspicious that there was some sort of, like, it was more thanjust suspicious that there was some sort of, like, it was more than just a coincidence, so how are you able to identify the link? we coincidence, so how are you able to identify the link?— identify the link? we used new techniques- — identify the link? we used new techniques. in _ identify the link? we used new techniques. in the _ identify the link? we used new techniques. in the study - identify the link? we used new techniques. in the study we . identify the link? we used new l techniques. in the study we have just published, we took three approaches, and the first approach was to use sophisticated technique called mendelian randomisation, and what that means, in

nothing in terms of genetic conditions, but before we | genetic conditions, but before we had joshua,ally, itjust made us realise how important scientific research is, and the positive impact it can have. so when we had that study, we were able to contribute so much to a study that would help joshua and further children, it seemed like a good. further children, it seemed like a aood. �* . , further children, it seemed like a aood. . ., , , good. and it was so interesting listeninu good. and it was so interesting listening to _ good. and it was so interesting listening to the _ good. and it was so interesting listening to the doctor- good. and it was so interesting l listening to the doctor explaining how it works — but was there any nervousness at all amongst the two of you about potentially what you might find out? i of you about potentially what you might find out?— of you about potentially what you might find out? i think i wasn't too nervous, because _ might find out? i think i wasn't too nervous, because 99% _ might find out? i think i wasn't too nervous, because 99% of - might f

how genetic science is helping britain's magnificent golden eagles spread their wings. the latest film by oscar—winning director alfonso cuaron is getting top marks in venice. but the decision to stream it first gets mixed reviews. hello. some of the greatest musical performers of the last 60 years have joined leading politicians and civil rights leaders to remember the life of aretha franklin. she died earlier this month from cancer, at the age of 76. the funeral service for the singer — who became known as the queen of soul — has been taking place in detroit, at the church where she sang as a child. our north america correspondent, aleem maqbool, was there. # it's marvellous # marvellous # it is a day of giving praise for the life of a woman who made an unprecedented impact with her voice and with her soul. # it's marvellous # a culmination of two weeks of tribute since the passing of aretha franklin. a public that adored her queued for hours to get inside the church to get a chance to say their final goodbyes to the queen of soul. i could not sit at home and watch it

but it isn't the only genetic discovery. as the infection is detected to stop another plays a role in stopping the virus from making copies of itself. and it's revealing which treatments to use and also when to use them. it really is an example of precision medicine, where we can actually identify the moment at which things have gone awry in that individual. so, knowing where the gene is in that response to infection gives us an idea of whether this is an early response or a late response, and where we should be intervening. vaccines will decrease cases of covid. but doctors around the world will be treating this disease for years to come, so new treatments are urgently needed, and these genetic discoveries could help in the race to find them. rebecca morelle, bbc news. here in the uk — the period of self—isolation for people who've been in contact with those who've tested positive for coronavirus is to be cut from 14 to ten days. the new rules take effect in the rest of the uk on monday. here's our health editor hugh pym. c

how genetic science is helping them spread their wings.nobel peace prize for her work with the poor and the dying in india's slums. the head of the catholic church said mother teresa was a wonderful example of how to help people in need. we have to identify the bodies then arrange the coffins and take them back home. parents are waiting and wives are waiting, so... hostages appeared, some carried, some running, trying to escape the nightmare behind them. britain lost a princess today, described by all to whom she reached out as irreplaceable. an early—morning car crash in a paris underpass ended a life with more than its share of pain and courage, warmth and compassion. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the trump administration is stopping all funding for the un agency that supports palestinian refugees. the soul singer aretha franklin has been given a musical farewell at a star—studded funeral in her home city of detroit. let's get more on our top story now. 0mar baddar is deputy director of the arab american institute. hejoins me n

but scientists hope to save them by mapping out and sharing their genetic make—up.s already shown success with tasmanian devil, an endangered marsupial. earlier i asked doctor carolyn hogg from the school of life and environmental sciences at the university of sydney why this genomics mapping is so important. one of the key things we have come to realise with any type of genetic diversity is the more diversity a species has, the greater potential they have to adapt to future changes. so a lot of people understand and know about the biodiversity crisis that the planet now finds itself in, and there are three main pillars to biodiversity. one is having lots of differences and lots of diversity — diversity in ecosystems, lots of different type of species, and the third pillar is really the diversity of genes, and this has been a really hard one for us to get an understanding of because the technology did not exist, but when the human genome was published over 20 years ago, that really opened up a whole new field of science that we are now applying to a suite of differe

ten—year—old tamika and nine—year—old caitlin have the same newly identified genetic condition, callede are only 11 known cases in the uk. the girls are so alike, they could be sisters. living so close, we could have easily bumped into each other. do you think we would have gone home with the wrong child? looking at them, it would have been easy, they are so similar. it's quite amazing to finally come across somebody who also has a child so different to anybody else‘s child and yet, here we are, and they are like twins. they are. to look at them, they are so similar, aren't they? the developmental disorder affects the girls' learning and communication. why do you think you took the wrong child? tamika has good language skills, caitlin has only a few words. it gives me hope as well, seeing tamika talking so much. it definitely gives me hope that caitlyn‘s speech will form. this is where caitlin and tamika's genetic condition was identified, at the wellcome trust sanger institute, near cambridge. they mapped their genes and found an identicalfault in their dna, but the mutation was not p

i was still in population genetics, in indonesia, andi population genetics, in indonesia, and i was sampling did the analysis, i found there was something there that we didn't know what it was. from then i had to try to actually find the fish. it took several years to track it down before we finally found it and could describe it formally. it is pretty extraordinary to find a new species of fish. i believe this was the person new species identified for 130 years. —— first new species. what has brought this particular fish so hard —— so farfrom home? what has brought this particular fish so hard —— so far from home7m is hard to say. it is newly described, so we have onlyjust started identifying it. we don't really know exactly where it occurs. it looks like it is a southern temperate, a southern hemisphere temperate, a southern hemisphere temperate species, so it is quite intriguing what made it crossed the equator and go into californian waters. i think perhaps it could just be an individual that got lost. it does happen in the ocean, with other animals. but of course it opens this kind of q

a wider genetic diversity gives _ more mixed up. wider genetic diversity gives for a better - diversity gives for a better population in terms of disease and their ability to survive, so santa having wonderful genetics that are worth preserving, we know from a previous reproductive assessment she can't breathe, the great thing about this as she will be represented in future generations of rhino. the scientist look inside her ovaries on the ultrasound they locate her eggs inside follicles, small sets of fluid that appear as dark circles, they extract them using an ultrafine needle stop. it has taken years ultrafine needle stop. it has ta ken years to ultrafine needle stop. it has taken years to develop and perfect this fertility technology, it is an extreme form of conservation but scientists say that is vital. they are products of evolution for millions of years, they are not bullet—proof and they will —— wiped out by human activity and i think we have really the responsibility as scientist to provide new solutions to make it possib

if you don't find the genetic effect people will say this isa genetic effect people will say this isdy does point to some individual genes that are defectively associated, people may talk about things like a cure or a test for sexual orientation that could be used to screen ivf embryos, for example. the authors of this study have really done a carefuljob saying that the work they have done, the work they have, would not make a particularly good test for prospective sexual orientation like that. again, the effect of all the genes they are finding are so small that they don't have much predictive value. forgive me, don't mean to interrupt you. very interesting to talk to you. make that last point, please. what remains to be seen is whether all of the caveats they have used in presenting these views will do thejob used in presenting these views will do the job and prevent people from trying to miss you the information like this. itself like we will be back to this. thank you very much indeed —— misuse. the world health organisation has announced plans to create a global registry to trac

the reason why we want to keep that genetic diversity as we know some populations of koalas suffereduite rapidly and now that we have the gino we are starting to understand that there are certain genetic variants that allow koalas to be able to live with the disease, while others succumb. how is this technique helping other species other than koalas? ~ other species other than koalas?— other species other than koalas? ~ ., , ., ,, , koalas? we have been applying it to tasmanian _ koalas? we have been applying it to tasmanian devils - koalas? we have been applying it to tasmanian devils and - it to tasmanian devils and other species, called the bilby, which looks like the australian version of a rabbit, and by looking the diversity of the species, we do a number of translocations for both of those species here, tasmanian doubles suffer significantly from an infectious cancer and we, by moving devils with genetic diversity helping to promote the animals to be able to adapt to live with the disease, someone of things the covid—19 pandemic has shown, people globally, is the way genomics

life. is it that and hope they can continue their genetic life.— their genetic life.air to say this is not _ their genetic life. is it fair to say this is not directly - their genetic life. is it fair to say this is not directly a - say this is not directly a consequence of climate change? there are other years it happens, but it could be seen of one of the further effects down the line of climate change? because of the longer drier conditions? yes change? because of the longer drier conditions? , ., ., ., conditions? yes we have had hot summers before, _ conditions? yes we have had hot summers before, this _ conditions? yes we have had hot summers before, this is - conditions? yes we have had hot summers before, this is not - conditions? yes we have had hot summers before, this is not the | summers before, this is not the first time it has happened but it does seem to be happening more frequently and we are being told by people who know far more than i'd do that we are seeing it. this is one of the problems that members of tree care have to face because trees will he

ukrainians are people who genetically are ready to | people who genetically are ready to survive _ peoplee in the most difficult circumstances. because this war is more _ circumstances. because this war is more than — circumstances. because this war is more than 300 years old, and the first battle — more than 300 years old, and the first battle was in 1709 when russian _ first battle was in 1709 when russian peter the great defeated the army _ russian peter the great defeated the army. putin thought this was his battle _ army. putin thought this was his battle and — army. putin thought this was his battle and he will be like peter the great _ battle and he will be like peter the great and — battle and he will be like peter the great and take ukraine back under control _ great and take ukraine back under control. but of course ukrainians remember— control. but of course ukrainians remember all the control. but of course ukrainians rememberallthe drama control. but of course ukrainians remember all the drama and tragedies in ukrainian— remember all the drama and tragedies in ukrainian histo

it costs £680 to map a person's genetic code, but it gets cheaper every few months —— gene.cheaper than existing tests or avoid the need for invasive biopsies. this report is an attempt to democratise genomics, moving dna analysis into the mainstream so that more patients can benefit from personalised, targeted treatments. stay with us, still to come: we will be looking at how one of denmark's first female muslim members of parliament is tackling prejudice with what she calls coffee and dialogue. china marked its first day of rule in hong kong with a series of spectacular haram arm by celebrations. a huge firework display was held in the former colony. the chinese president, jiang zemin, said unification was the start of a new era for hong kong. the world's first clone has been produced of an adult mammal. scientists in scotland have produced a sheep called dolly that was cloned in a laboratory using a cell of another sheep. for the first time in 20 years, russian and american spacecraft have docked in orbit at the start of a new era of cooperation in space. challenger power

scientists say they've identified genetic variants that make some people more likely to develop severeovid symptoms. all right, girls, get in with the coach! and tributes poor in for the british actress dame barbara windsor, who has died at the age of 83. —— pour in. both boris johnson and the president of the european commission have spoken in gloomy terms about the likelihood of a post—brexit trade deal. the two leaders have agreed to make a decision on the future of the negotiations by the end of the weekend. early this evening the british prime minister chaired a meeting with ministers to revisit contigency plans for how to manage no—deal. alex forsyth reports. it was a covid welcome for the prime minister today at a firm providing energy for the future. more immediate trade talks, though, must be on his mind. negotiators are still working out which way they'll go as borisjohnson warned again reaching agreement with the eu looks doubtful. it's looking, you know, very, very likely that we'll have to go for a solution that i think would be... you know, wonderfulfor the uk. we'd be ab

genetic test proved it was not a genetic conditions. alex attwood aid operations.ething else that was wrong. he had a skin condition, then his vision, and his feeding. you just need to know the answer. and as a parent, you want to know what is wrong with your child. this is the letter i got in march telling me about your diagnosis. it was only by reading and the courting alex's entire genetic code known as is genome, that finally gave a diagnosis, delivered in a letter last month. i remember opening act and crying, knowing that they had actually got the diagnosis. i could not believe that this letter appeared in the post. for mum, relief and certainty. for alex, a more modest response. it has been a big journey. it is part of my life. i don't think about it mostly. he might not think about it much but alex helped lead the way for potentially thousands of other patients to solve the mystery is behavioural symptoms. this is where those mysteries are being solved, the laboratory in where scientist sequenced his genome. it is is unique genetic code more than 3 billion

the animal was genetically modified to reduce the chance of the organ being rejected.s at the maryland medical center said the 57—year—old patient was doing well. the experimental operation was considered the last hope of saving his life. we can now speak to dr robert montgomery who performed the first successful transplantation using a genetically engineered pig kidney into a human, who was on life support at the time. dr montgomery is also himself a heart transplant recipient with a genetic heart disorder. doctor montgomery, thank you very much forjoining us. i had to say you tick too much and reeboks we could ask for in an expert interview on this topic. let me start first of all with your reaction to this operation. just how big a deal is it? it operation. just how big a deal is it? , ., ., , operation. just how big a deal isit? ,., ., i, operation. just how big a deal is it? ,., ., , , ., is it? it is a really big deal. it is a huge _ is it? it is a really big deal. it is a huge leap _ is it? it is a really big deal. it is a huge leap forward. l is it? it is a rea

it looks at looks at genetic variants known to affect the chances of getting breast cancer.ed out across the nhs. joining me now is drjustine alford from cancer research uk. you tell a small about how this works, about this research. in this study the scientists were building on previous research that looked at women who had a family history of breast cancer and was notjust looking at a broad population of women, it was women with a family history. they looked at small genetic changes to the letters of dna that are common in the population but looking at small changes which have been linked with the risk of developing breast cancer in people with a family history of the disease and they found by homing in on the disease and they found by homing inona the disease and they found by homing in on a small number of changes, they found they could accurately predict the risk of these women going on to develop breast cancer which is in courage in because at the moment in terms of genetics we only know about genes behind 20 —— 2596. this test is about allowing women and doctors to ma

but we do not yet know what those genetic changes mean.of mutations that could add up to nothing in terms of a change in virus behaviour or you could have two mutations that are devastating to us and we really don't know and we really don't have the technology to make their sleep so i think it is important to stand up and be alert i do think that we are ahead of this and that is a good thing as long as we stay nimble. it is great to stand up but we really want to see that if this ends up want to see that if this ends up being a little bit of an overreaction and while i hope so i don't think we know that, but if that is the case we should also be willing to stand down. i think being nimble is a very wise move.— very wise move. there are several — very wise move. there are several variants _ very wise move. there are several variants out - very wise move. there are several variants out there | very wise move. there are . several variants out there and thatis several variants out there and that is of viruses. it is how they work but what is t

and it would be the genetic risk factor for having cancer.— the genetic risk factor for having cancer i also ask you about the help _ having cancer. can i also ask you about the help that - having cancer. can i also ask you about the help that willl having cancer. can i also ask l you about the help that will be needed if there's labels to help people who may not consider themselves to be heavy drinkers but may consume alcohol as a form of stress release? do you cancer patients believe that they need to have a family history of breast cancer when in reality it's about 30% of the women with breast cancer have a family history, yet we give a mammogram to the whole population. so, there are so many other risk factors that need to be discussed with patients as well. and i think bringing this down to the level of something that's understandable, we know a lot about genetics and it would be the genetic risk factor for having cancer.— the genetic risk factor for having cancer. can i also ask ou having cancer. can i also ask you about — having cancer. can i also ask you about the _ having can

their genetic structure may help to explain why dinosaurs survived so long and are so varied.th‘s changing conditions over 100 million years, and they were able to do that far faster than any other kind of animal.

devils in general are quite genetically non—diverse.t they could be genetically different from other animals. for us this could mean improving the genetic diversity of other devils in parts of tasmania, which can, hopefully, with breeding these genetics into other populations, it gives them a better chance of dealing with the disease in future challenges. dr samantha fox from the save the tasmanian devils programme. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: not the real thing — the french art museum that's discovered half of its exhibits are fake. nothing, it seems, was too big to withstand the force of the tornado. the extent of the devastation will lead to renewed calls for government help to build better housing. internationally, there have already been protests. sweden says it received no warning of the accident. indeed, the russians at first denied anything had gone wrong. it was only when radioactive levels started to increase outside russia were they forced to admit the accident. for the mujahideen, the mood here is of great celeb

devils in general are quite genetically non— diverse. so we're hoping that the fa ct diverse.ated means that they could be genetically different from other animals. for us this could mean improving the genetic diversity of other devils in parts of tasmania, which can hopefully, with breeding these genetics into other populations, it gives me better chance of dealing with the disease in future challenges. do you like these animals? what kind of animals are they? i have worked with devils for ten yea rs they? i have worked with devils for ten years now. they have incredible personalities. they are not at all like the tasmanian government from disney cartoons. they are quite shy. they are one of the easiest animals to handle, which you might not think would be the case. but they are quite aggressive with each other. but with people, they generallyjust sit there quietly and happy for you to do what you are doing so that they can leave. interesting considering they are called devils. thank you for that, dr fox. i also like the stingray necklace you have there. a museum in southern

and they compared this with the dna of healthy people, to pinpoint any genetic differences.called tyk2. it activates parts of the immune response. but if that gene is faulty, the response can go into overdrive. what is particularly exciting about the tyk2 findings is that there is already a whole class of drugs that inhibit that protein. so, they target very specifically the biological mechanism that we think is causing severe covid. this means existing anti—inflammatory drugs, including one used for rheumatoid arthritis, could be tried. but it isn't the only genetic discovery. 0ne gene helps to kick—start the immune system as soon as the infection is detected. another plays a role in stopping the virus from making copies of itself. and it's revealing which treatments to use and also when to use them. it really is an example of precision medicine, where we can actually identify the moment at which things have gone awry in that individual. so, knowing where the gene is in that response to infection gives us an idea of whether this is an early response or a late response, and

each batch may have some random genetic mistakes.ht prove dangerous — unimportant, but a few might prove dangerous. so the first task is to track— dangerous. so the first task is to track these — dangerous. so the first task is to track these changes, and that is done _ track these changes, and that is done by— track these changes, and that is done by studying the genetic code of the virus _ done by studying the genetic code of the virus. since december2019, when it was— the virus. since december2019, when it was first _ the virus. since december2019, when it was first confirmed in wuhan, scientists— it was first confirmed in wuhan, scientists have monitored what is effectively a family tree, with hundreds of different branches. each of these _ hundreds of different branches. each of these lines represents one of the many— of these lines represents one of the many different variants that emerged over the _ many different variants that emerged over the course of the past year, and it's— over the course of the past year, and it's only—

but a tiny amount of dna is all scientists need to map the genetic code of this great bird of prey.on, so that havens for these threatened birds can be found and protected. and where populations are in severe decline, genetic matchmaking could give eagles a better chance to thrive. this is a dna storage freezer. the same institute that helped sequence the first human genome 15 years ago has now decoded the eagles‘ biological secrets. this allows us to really understand a huge amount about its biology, about the variation between populations, how it survives in the wild, how we can better manage it. it is the blueprint for life and it supports a huge amount of research ongoing. scotland‘s rugged mountains are home to just 500 pairs of wild golden eagles. and for conservationists, protecting these endangered birds means watching over them in their natural habitat. this is big eagle country. they prefer the inland, the rocky, craggy areas. but it‘s big, remote country and spotting one is going to be tough. so they‘ve got to take their chances while they can. and if it‘s good visibility

this test looks for particular genetic variants and it uses a saliva test.th prostate cancer now is that the current test, known as the psa test, often misses the aggressive cancers and can actually lead to overtreatment of cancers that never would have actually progressed. so any progress in this area is very welcome. and so by looking at genetics, this test can be much more targeted, hopefully, than the psa test. it's still early days, though, for this test, and it needs more research because we need to test it in a wider pool of people to see if these results stand out. but anything that can detect those aggressive prostate cancers, which are about one in five prostate cancers, is really, really welcome. there's a huge amount of work going on right now across a whole number of cancers on genetic testing. and the challenge with cancer is that you have to cast the net very widely, usually with diagnostics. so the tests that your gp has available to you are often not that sensitive. so if we can use genetics to make them more sensitive, that's incredibly hel

but we do not yet know what those genetic changes mean.ousands of mutations that could add up to nothing in terms of a changing of virus behaviour or you can have two mutations that are devastating for us and we really don't know and we don't have the technology to make those leaps overi technology to make those leaps over i it is important to stand up over i it is important to stand up and be alert, i do think they are ahead of this and that is a good thing as long as we stay nimble. i think it is great to stand up, but we want to see that, if this ends up being a little bit of an overreaction and well i hope so i don't think we know that, but if that is the case we should also be willing to stand down. being nimble is a very wise move. ., , ., move. there are several variants _ move. there are several variants out _ move. there are several variants out there. - move. there are several variants out there. that| move. there are several. variants out there. that is move. there are several - variants out there. that is how they work. what is

we have got a genetic code and what we have been able to do is line up the genetic code for the variantr variants of coronavirus like delta which is why you are seeing the stories of this mutation and this change and we have seen this one before at this one we have not, but what has got people worried, if you look where the changes are, they localise in the genetic code with the piece that it uses to make the outer coat of the virus and specifically the spike on the outer coat of the virus and that is what it uses to infect ourselves. it is also what we used to make the vaccinations that then make this immune to coronavirus and that is why people are concerned, because if the virus changes the shape of its bit of itself, it might affect the transmissibility and there is speculation this is more transmissible. it might make people sicker, but we do not think it is the case, but we do not know, but it might if it looks different to our immune system have the ability to sidestep the immunity we have all got by having vaccinations and boosters. let us hope not, but that is the worry. i boos

if the genetic codes are different, they all caught it elsewhere.y are looking for, we will get those samples and as soon as we can and within 2a hours we hope to have the answer. is it an outbreak, the same thing moving around, or have there been multiple introductions from outside where different people are brought in? they have tested more samples in the east of england than most countries around the world. finding 100 different genetic types or lineages in norfolk alone. most traceable back to italy, spain and france, not asia. and they have investigated potential outbreaks at a hospital in ipswich at a chicken factory in norfolk. in the chicken factory all the viruses were exactly the same. that meant the virus was moving from one person to another in the factory or within the community that works in the factory. when we looked in the hospital what we found was that there were multiple different types of the virus, different lineages of the virus in the hospital. they were similar to the lineages that we saw in the ipswich community. that meant

this nhs lab in birmingham carries out genetic testing.d by around ten families across the whole of the west midlands region. the majority of cancers are not due to an identifiable genetic problem. most cancers are due to a mixture of environmental, lifestyle, and minor genetic causes. raj still holds dearly three letters written by his wife to their children before she died. i get really emotional thinking about my son's letters. i haven't the strength to read the other letters. it is hard. really hard. kenry, bbc midlands today, lemington. it's called britbox and it's the bbc and itv‘s answer to netflix, a new on—demand video streaming service that's being planned for the uk. it could cost around £5 a month — and for that you'd have access to some of the most popular programmes ever shown on british television. our media editor amol rajan assesses its chances of success. television has changed more in the past ten years than it had in the previous history, thanks to one company above all. you've probably heard of them. netflix has superc

devils in general are quite genetically non—diverse.mals. for us this could mean improving the genetic diversity of other devils in parts of tasmania, which can, hopefully, with breeding these genetics into other populations, it gives them a better chance of dealing with the disease in future challenges. a museum in southern france, dedicated to the art of the painter etienne terrus, has discovered that many of its canvasses are forgeries. a close examination carried out during renovation works revealed that dozens of them had not in fact been painted by the artist. it's estimated the cost of the forgeries amounts to almost $200,000. the bbc‘s tim allman reports. etienne terrus was a relatively obscure artist. a friend of henri matisse, he specialised in the use of light and colour. he studied in paris but spent most of his life and career in the pyrenees, where this museum displays his work — or at least they thought they did. translation: we have appointed a commission of experts which has shown that the vast majority of the paintings

he was born with a rare genetic condition, unbeknown to 7 pa rents 77 parents he could only see “i?nd dark ei5 555555 515 55915 551? 555 and dark was “15 555555 h15 55915 551? 555 and dark was rapidly light and dark and was rapidly losing his a chance 5 led5them to this meeting led them to this professor who, using years of professor whmbsing years of was rofessor whobsin "ears of p - 5 1 was for research was looking for answers— research was looking for answers. , ., answers. in this model you can see in the _ answers. in this model you can see in the back _ answers. in this model you can see in the back of _ answers. in this model you can see in the back of the - answers. in this model you can see in the back of the eye - answers. in this model you can see in the back of the eye the l membrane which light—sensitive membrane which is the _ light—sensitive membrane which is the retina. this what is by the condition and affected by the condition and this is— affected by the condition and this is the tissue we are targeting. it this is the tissue we are targeting-— this is the tissue

you briefly mentioned the genetic material side of things.id there isn't full agreement, but these are the materials that can go on to be used to make vital drugs in the future. we may not even know what's out there in terms of how useful it is, but what are the options in terms of sharing that? well, the thing is, this is about the vast genetic materials there... again, we don't even know what they are right now. we are talking about pharmaceuticals, as we saw in that report, treatments for several diseases. and also other things, for example, deep sea mining, when we talk about all those rare materials to make electric vehicles, batteries, things like that. those are the things, again, how do you actually share? that is broadly agreed now, but again, there is a high alliance of countries working on this. poor countries have alsojoined in. but the details yet to come out. there is broad agreement. let's hope this works. this is a first step. how many years are we talking for more concrete developments? lots of people now have to go home and

code of “p to screen the genetic code of up to 100,000 babies at birth, to screen the genetic code of of an abnormality in their genetic code rather than abnormalities within the blood. but i think it is really important that people are aware that it important that people are aware thatitis important that people are aware that it is not superseding them. at the moment, the generation study is in addition to and not instead of newborn screening is. so we would very strongly encourage those people who are in the generation study to also be having the neonatal heel prick screen at the same time. ., . ~' , heel prick screen at the same time. ., a , ., heel prick screen at the same time. ., , ., i. heel prick screen at the same time. ., a , ., i. ~ time. how quickly do you think this will start _ time. how quickly do you think this will start to _ time. how quickly do you think this will start to bear _ time. how quickly do you think this will start to bear fruit, i this will start to bear fruit, how quickly will you be able to identify where there is an issue, when early intervention can

so, getting the genetics sequenced so rapidly is so extraordinary.he sequence of hiv and we are now in the position where we can sequence the genetic code of a virus incredibly rapidly and it was essential so all of the vaccines have been based on those original sequences. just talk us through, how many mutations have there been and have they followed to the sort of pattern that you would expect? well, viruses do evolve and that is expected and they evolve much more rapidly than we as humans do, for example. initially, we were seeing perhaps one or two changes in the genetic code of the virus on a monthly basis. and that has now resulted in the accumulation of around 4000 different mutations in the genome and what is critical is that very recently with the emergence of these new variants that the one in the united kingdom which isb the one in the united kingdom which is b 117 and the south african variant also and of course there will be more in other countries who are doing less sequencing, they have arrived with more changes in the genome then we m

the older technique of genetic modification involves putting genetic material in, sometimes genes fromut not in europe. you can't get these high—tech foods in the shops. that's because europe effectively banned genetically modified crops 25 years ago, over concerns about their safety. when gene—editing emerged eight years ago, that wasn't allowed either. the uk government has now looked at the science and decided that the newer technology is completely safe. this firm in hertfordshire has been developing new varieties of wheat and barley using traditional breeding methods for decades. they're planning to use gene editing because they believe it'll keep food on our shelves at affordable prices. when we're developing new varieties like these, that you see in the packages here, that takes around 12 years, typically. with precision breeding techniques, we can significantly shorten that timescale and bring new varieties to the market much faster. in 1999, worried protesters trampled gm crops. since then, scientific reviews have shown the technology to be safe, and some have now changed thei