Bacteria
Hopes of wiping out dengue type illnesses
The World Mosquito Programme is seeing a significant decline in rates of dengue, zika and chikungunya in the Western Pacific as it continues to release mosquitos infected with the wolbachia bacteria… Audio
Cheese rind: to eat or not to eat?
Some people shun and avoid it at all costs but others love it, believing it's an integral and pleasurable part of any cheese-eating experience. Audio, Gallery
Science to solve kiwifruit crisis a winner
A 100-strong team of researchers from Plant and Food Research have won the 2017 Prime Minister's Science Prize for using science to solve the kiwifruit PSA crisis. Audio
Could 'zombie pathogens' threaten humanity?
Could a killer virus dormant for centuries under the ice come back to life? With climate change thawing the permafrost at the poles and revealing long-hidden animal carcasses and human remains… Audio, Gallery
Bacteria: a companion for cancer?
Science news with Dr Chris Smith, and how some parasites, like intestinal worms, suppress a hosts's immune system to stop them from being attacked. Also cancers carry microbes with them when they… Audio
Learning to live with bad bugs
The fight against antibiotic resistance is a fight against evolution, and sadly it's not a war we're ever going to win. Our approach so far has been to kill the bad bugs, waging a war on pathogens… Audio
Bacteria versus virus at Queenstown Research Week
The arms race between the immune systems of bacteria and the viruses - bacteriophages - that attack them, was a feature of this year's Queenstown Research Week. Audio
How bacteria might stop sepsis infection
Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication which happens when your body's attempts to fight off an infection go badly wrong. Now scientists have found that if you feed babies a particular… Audio
The Science of... Sweat
Simon Morton and Alison Ballance present a three-part series exploring the science of sweat, virtual reality and Vitamin C. This week, the function of a much-maligned bodily fluid that plays a vital… Audio, Gallery
Could gut bacteria help obese teens lose weight?
Paediatric endocrinologist Wayne Cutfield on the weight loss trial involving gut bugs from lean young people to help obese teenagers lose weight. He is leading a team of researchers at the University… Audio
Happy bacteria!
The bacteria count on a cake after the birthday candles have been blown out is a bit gross. Audio
The best way to wash your hands
Don't bother turning on the hot tap next time you wash your hands. According to new research, warm water doesn't do the job any better. Professor Donald Schaffner of Rutgers University tells us why. Audio
Weather bugs: microbes making rain
Microbes inhabit every nook and cranny from the depths of the ocean to your small intestine, but could these tiny organisms also be playing a part in the weather? Audio, Gallery
NZ's rivers under pressure
In the latest instalment of RNZ's election series 'Is this the brighter future?' we take a look at the health of New Zealand's waterways and the state of our environment, as more areas around the… Audio
The clover 'dress code'
Understanding the 'dress code' that allows clover plants to recognise friendly nitrogen-fixing bacteria could help us improve farming efficiency. Audio
A cure for smelly armpits?
Chris Callewaert, a post doctoral scholar from the University of California, San Diego has disovered that replacing the underarm bacteria of a very smelly person, with the bacteria from a less smelly… Audio
Jackie Benschop - Can your pet make you sick?
Dr Jackie Benschop is the lead investigator into a new study that identifies a possible risk between resistant bacteria, pets and human infection. Audio
Parenting: Let them eat dirt!
When it comes to parenting, have we become too obsessed with being clean and worrying about children getting sick from all of the germs they might pick up? Audio
You and your Fungi
Your body is host to a diverse fungal community known as the "mycobiome" which plays a critical role in human health and disease. We hear from Case Western Reserve medical mycologist Mahmoud Ghannoum… Audio
Sixth person contracts superbug at Dunedin Hospital.
A sixth person has tested positive for a superbug resistant to antibiotics at Dunedin Hospital.